Mujeeb Ur Rahman nearly took a hat trick as he removed KKR batters Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra on successive deliveries in the NZ vs AFG T20 World Cup 2026 in Chennai.
The incident happened in the second over of the second innings. On the third ball, Mujeeb dismissed Finn Allen. It was a clean wicket. Allen struggled against spin once again. Mujeeb bowled it quicker, and the ball may have hit a crack and skidded through. Allen tried to play the pull shot but was rushed, and the ball hit the middle stump. It was an early breakthrough, and Mujeeb was delighted. Finn Allen was dismissed for one off two balls.
On the very next ball, Mujeeb removed Rachin Ravindra. It was two wickets in two balls, and Mujeeb ran away in celebration. Bowling seam-up from around the wicket, the ball swung in and then straightened. Rachin pushed forward but played down the wrong line, and the ball struck the top of the middle stump. He was removed for a golden duck.
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Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been in impressive form since the start of 2025. He has taken 55 wickets in 43 T20 matches during since then. His overall T20I record is also strong, with 82 wickets in 61 matches. Earlier in January, during a T20I series against the West Indies, he took six wickets in three matches, including four wickets and a hat trick in the second T20I. In the warm up matches, he also picked up three wickets in two games. His form will be crucial for Afghanistan in the upcoming matches, as he has a knack for taking wickets in the powerplay.
Speaking about the match, Afghanistan batted first and posted a total of 182/6 in 20 overs. For them, Gulbadin Naib scored 63 off 35 balls. Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz also contributed, with each scoring over 20 runs to help Afghanistan cross the 180 run mark.
For New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson picked up two wickets, while Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, and Rachin Ravindra took one wicket each.
In reply, Afghanistan started well by picking up two early wickets in the second over, as Mujeeb removed Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra.
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