Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran dedicated his Man of the Match award to outgoing head coach Jonathan Trott after leading his team to an 82-run win over Canada in their final match at the ICC Men’s Under-20 World Cup on Thursday.
AFG vs CAN T20 WORLD CUP 2026: MAIN | SCORECARD
Zadran made an unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, hitting seven fours and five sixes as Afghanistan posted 200 for 4 after being sent in to bat. In reply, Canada were restricted to 118 for 8, with Mohammad Nabi returning figures of 4 for 7 and captain Rashid Khan claiming 2 for 19.
In a post-match presentation, Zadran acknowledged Trott’s role in his development and the team’s progress in recent years.
“I enjoyed it. I didn’t play better cricket in the first two innings which I expected. I wanted to push my skills, I really enjoyed it. The pressure was there, it’s still there. I want to get into pressure situations and enjoy it. I wanted to play positive cricket, rotate the strikes and punish the bad ball, create partnerships and that’s what I did.”
“I wanted to dedicate it to coach Jonathan (Trott), he supported me, encouraged us all a lot. We achieved things in the ICC events. It’s his last day with us, he taught me a lot of things. I wish him all the best, we will all miss him a lot,” Zadran said.
JONATHAN TROTT SIGNS OUT
Trott’s tenure as Afghanistan head coach ended with a win over Canada. The former England batsman was appointed in July 2022 and was initially given an 18-month contract which was extended in 2024 and later renewed for the 2025 season. During his tenure, Afghanistan established a reputation as a competitive white-ball side and recorded notable performances in ICC events.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan described Trott’s departure as emotional and credited him with the team’s growth.
“I think we had a wonderful time with him. He played a major role where we are now. It’s emotional to see him leave us, but that’s life. We wish him all the best and see him again somewhere at the end.
“We were well prepared, we played some incredible cricket. The game against South Africa really hurt everybody. We had to win one of the first two games and we’ll see how the tournament goes. We’ll take some positives from this World Cup and we’re looking forward to it. A couple of areas to improve on, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams and then comes the bowling series when you play death over the bigger teams.
“We have great spinners, good batsmen at the top but that is where we need to improve. Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support us, it made us feel like we are back home. We have so much love and support,” said Rashid.
Afghanistan’s innings revolved around Zadran’s measured aggression at the top of the order. After a steady start, he found a rhythm with a calculated stroke and rotation of punches before picking up speed in the second half. His 95-run partnership with Sediqullah Atal for the third wicket (44 off 32) provided the platform for a strong finish to take Afghanistan to 200 for 4.
In response, Canada struggled to find the required pace and lost momentum in the middle overs. A disciplined Afghan bowling unit ensured there was no way back into the contest. Mohammad Nabi’s incisive spell of 4 for 7 dismantled the middle order, while Rashid Khan’s 2 for 19 sealed any hopes of a late surge and restricted Canada to 118 for 8.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 19, 2026