Thanks for joining us! Hope you enjoyed all the action from Sharjah. Do tune into Sportskeeda on Sunday for the 2018 APL final between Balkh Legends and Kabul Zwanan.
The 20-year old has truly led from the front. After swelling Kabul's total by taking Isuru Udana to the cleaners in the last over, he ripped the heart out of Paktia's run-chase with a four-wicket haul. The stunning catch along the deep mid-wicket boundary was just the cherry on top.
Paktia Panthers will be extremely disappointed with their abject display. They squandered an opportunity to limit Kabul by dropping Rashid Khan in the penultimate over. While chasing such a steep target in a knockout match was always going to be tough, their batsmen did themselves no favours by playing far too many rash shots.
On the other hand, Kabul Zwanan will march into the final with supreme confidence. Having won a handy toss and put a formidable total on board, their bowlers got to work and razed Paktia in a ruthless manner.
Prior to this match, Rashid Khan had to endure an unusually quiet tournament with just five wickets and 135 runs from seven matches. This all-round performance should consign all those doubts to oblivion. He has followed up a pivotal 19-ball 35 with a haul of 4/20 as well as a truly breathtaking catch.
Rashid Khan ends the match! Fittingly, the skipper takes the final wicket to seal a massive victory for Kabul Zwanan. A well-deserved four-wicket haul for the leg-spinner.
Third wicket for Rashid! The star wrist-spinner outclasses Isuru Udana with a well-disguised googly. Up against a lower-order batsman, all he has to do is to be on target.
Stunning catch from Rashid Khan! This man is on a roll. Runs, wickets and now a breathtaking catch. Ran like a hare, made good ground and dived low to his right. Upon encircling his hands on the ball, he has the awareness to ensure that it does not bobble out.
Shahid Afridi - Six and Out! How often have we seen this from the hard-hitting all-rounder! After launching Muslim Musa into the stands for a colossal maximum, the 38-year old miscues a slog and Laurie Evans settles underneath the skier. That could be it for Paktia.
Paktia lose their sixth! Shahidullah Kamal cleans up Tahir Khan with an arm-ball. The right-hander has no clue whatsoever and ends up playing all around one drifting into him.
Whatever Rashid Khan's touching is turning into gold! After smacking a quickfire 35, he picks two wickets in two balls. Strangely, the skipper removes himself from the attack. But his replacement strikes on his own.
MacLeod is dismissed! Muslim Musa replaces skipper Rashid and does not take long to make an impact. With the required run-rate climbing rapidly, the right-hander has no choice but to take a chance. Unfortunately for him and Paktia, he only finds Colin Ingram at deep mid-wicket.
MacLeod reverse-sweeps Rashid for a boundary. After watching his teammates flounder badly against the leg-spinner in the previous over, this is highly brave and adventurous from the man from Scotland.
An eventful Power Play comes to a close. Fareed Ahmad almost delivers a maiden over. However, Calum MacLeod somehow manages to steal a single off the last ball. To put things into perspective, Paktia require 161 runs from 84 balls. That's how far Kabul are ahead at the moment.
Two wickets and two singles from Rashid's opening over. The 20-year old is threatening to run away with the game. Can Paktia respond in kind? They desperately need an Afridi special.
Shahid Afridi prevents the hat-trick! Rashid Khan sends in a quicker and flatter one to turn a fraction away from the senior right-hander. The Afghanistan star is up against his idol from Pakistan. This could be a very interesting face-off.
Rashid Khan strikes from his very first ball! Upon seeing Rahmanullah Gurbaz getting into position to sweep, the star leg-spinner weaves a googly and traps him in front. The umpire raises his finger slowly but surely.
Delport departs! Cameron brings the run-chase back on track by hammering consecutive sixes off Javed Ahmadi. But the part-time off-spinner extracts revenge by getting the left-hander caught in the deep off the penultimate ball. Rashid Khan's bold captaincy pays dividends in the end.
Another impressive over from Wayne Parnell. After being consistently expensive during the group stage matches, the South African seamer is turning up when it really matters. He has conceded just ten runs from his first two overs.
Shahzad falls! A nothing ball from Wayne Parnell. Sits up nicely but the Paktia skipper somehow manages to find the only fielder stationed on the leg-side boundary with almost pin-point precision. What a start for Kabul!
Colin Ingram and Laurie Evans set the platform with impactful knocks in the middle-order. When it seemed as if Paktia would finish on a high by razing through the lower-order, Rashid Khan led from the front and lifted Kabul Zwanan to a formidable total. The all-rounder remained unbeaten on 35 from 19. How crucial will those runs be in the context of the game? Stay tuned for the run-chase.
Three sixes from Rashid Khan! The Kabul Zwanan captain adds another crucial cameo with the bat. He ends the innings on a flourish by hammering Isuru Udana for 20 runs in an expensive final over.
Rashid gets a reprieve! The Kabul skipper mistimes a pull shot. Despite covering considerable ground, Samiullah Shenwari does not manage to hang on to the catch. However, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi takes matters into his own hands and cleans up Muslim Musa before dismissing Fareed Ahmad for a golden duck.
19 runs from the over! Muslim Musa enters the frame and makes an impact straightaway. The lower-order batsman hammers a six and a four off consecutive balls.
Udana strikes! After starting the over with a six, the left-arm seamer rebounds immediately to remove Laurie Evans. A quicker and fuller delivery way outside the off-stump. The batsman reaches for it and ends up slicing a catch to deep backward point.
Lightning-quick stumping by Shahzad! After missing a run-out opportunity off the previous ball, the Paktia gloveman redeems himself by effecting a stunning stumping to dismiss Shahidullah. Second wicket for Afridi.
Afridi removes Ingram! Not the greatest of deliveries from the wily leg-spinner. Upon seeing a rare long hop from Afridi, the southpaw gets carried away and top-edges a catch to deep square leg. He has to walk back for a well-made 44 from 27.
Ingram innovates impressively! Follows a customized version of reverse-sweep with a conventional sweep. The left-hander picks up back to back boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving.
Javed Ahmadi's run out! Catastrophic miscommunication between him and Colin Ingram. Cameron Delport's accurate throw helps Afridi rattle the stumps at the non-striker's end. Ingram regroups quickly and ends the over with a flat six.
Four singles and a boundary from Afridi's first over. A decent start from the iconic Pakistani leg-spinner. The Panthers could do with a typically tight spell from the veteran.
Hazratullah Zazai departs! The aggressive southpaw flays a full delivery straight into the hands of long-on. Off-spinner Tahir Khan strikes from his very first delivery.
Fascinating ploy from the Panthers to tackle Hazratullah. Their seamers are using the short ball on a regular basis. However, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi ends up conceding a no-ball for height. Fortunately for Paktia, Zazai does not make them pay off the free hit.
Excellent over from Omarzai! Aside from picking a wicket, the medium pacer gives away only a boundary and a single. Paktia skipper Mohammad Shahzad's interesting captaincy gets rewarded instantly.
Parnell holes out! Azmatullah Omarzai replaces Ziaur Rahman Sharifi and strikes immediately. Kabul's decision to promote the South African pacer to number three does not work this time around. Some scrutiny over MacLeod's catch. But the third umpire upholds the soft signal.
