Chennai, February 20: Afghanistan concluded the T20 World Cup 2026 with a spectacular victory. On Thursday, they defeated Canada by 82 runs in the 39th match held at M. Chidambaram Stadium. This win also marked a heartfelt farewell to head coach Jonathan Trott. Captain Rashid Khan expressed that Trott has significantly contributed to Afghanistan cricket, making his departure an emotional moment for the team.
Following the victory against Canada, Rashid praised Trott’s impact. He stated, “The journey with Jonathan Trott over the past four or four and a half years has been incredible. He has done so much for Afghanistan cricket and played a crucial role in bringing the team to this level. Watching him leave the team in this way is quite emotional, but that’s life. You can’t always be together. We wish him the best for the future and hope to meet him again.”
Reflecting on Afghanistan’s journey in the tournament, Rashid noted, “We came fully prepared and played exceptional cricket throughout the tournament. In my opinion, the loss against South Africa pushed us back and hurt us the most. We knew we had to win at least one of our first two matches to control our fate in the World Cup. However, that’s how tournaments go.”
Rashid further added, “There were many positives for us in this tournament, which we will build on as we aim for a stronger comeback in the next ICC event. However, we need to improve in certain areas, especially the performance of our middle-order batsmen against stronger teams and our bowling in the final overs.”
Afghanistan secured two wins out of four matches in the group stage, while suffering defeats in the other two.
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Shubham/RSG
