Canada falls to Afghanistan by 82 runs in final league match of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

Canada’s campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ended with an 82 run defeat against Afghanistan in their final league stage match in Chennai. Chasing a challenging target of 201, the Canadian side struggled to build partnerships and finished on 118 for eight in 20 overs.

Afghanistan set the tone after opting to bat, posting 200 for four in their allotted overs. Ibrahim Zadran, who was named player of the match, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, including seven fours and five sixes. It marked the highest individual score by an Afghan batter in this edition of the tournament.

In response, Canada lost early wickets during the powerplay and never recovered from the early setback. The team slipped to 34 for three, with captain Dilpreet Bajwa dismissed for 13 and opener Navneet Dhaliwal out without scoring. The early pressure limited Canada’s ability to mount a competitive chase.

Saad Bin Zafar provided some resistance in the middle order with 28 runs, but no other batter was able to convert a start into a significant contribution. The loss concludes Canada’s league stage schedule, highlighting both the strides made in qualifying for the global tournament and the challenges of competing against established international sides.