Afghanistan captain, Rashid Khan has suffered a personal tragedy with the death of his brother. The cricket world was by his side and in a heart touching scene on Friday, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi and his teammates were seen comforting Rashid following their confrontation at Sharjah.
Shaheen Afridi offers condolences to Rashid Khan
This overture by the Pakistan side came a few days following the defeat of Rashid which had shaken the Afghanistan camp. Haji Abdul Halim, the brother of Rashid Khan, and always a support in his life, was fondly remembered as messages of sympathy came in.
After beating Afghanistan by 39 runs, Pakistan players assembled to pay tribute to Rashid and his family and they prayed on the ground. In one instance, Shaheen Afridi was seen hugging Rashid providing him with support in the emotional scene.
Shaheen Shah Afridi was spotted embracing Rashid Khan, offering him comfort in his moment of grief.
Pakistan team offers condolences and prayers on the death of Rashid Khan’s elder brother. #PakistanCricket #RashidKhan pic.twitter.com/gxwvXyYdnG
— Ahtasham Riaz (@ahtashamriaz22) August 29, 2025
Rashid Khan shines despite personal grief
Rashid was an extremely strong character in the game despite the personal tragedy that he was suffering. He was a gorgeous cameo with five sixes and a boundary in 16 balls. His 39 on the first ball brought some hope to Afghanistan and was sacked by Haris Rauf the Pakistan pacer.
It was a struggle that said a lot about the strength and spirit of fighting Rashid could offer even at such a hard moment. His blow was one of the few salvages in an otherwise unpromising pursuit by Afghanistan.
Pakistan dominate with bat and ball in Sharjah
Pakistan had earlier in the day assembled a good total having won the toss. The opening of the tournament was established by opener Sahibzada Farhan who used two sixes and a four in his quick 10-ball 21. The innings was then anchored by Salman Agha in a mature manner where he scored his fourth T20I century.
Agha hit 53, unbeaten, off only 36 deliveries, with three sixes, three boundaries. His association with Mohammad Nawaz who scored 21 off 11 balls assisted Pakistan to accumulate 51 scores in the final five overs. They later registered 182/7 in their 20 overs.
In the bowling front, Haris Rauf was the star with 4/31 with Shaheen Afridi contributing 2/21. Spinners Mohammad Nawaz (2/23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2/25) screwed the screws as Afghanistan were rolled out to 143 in 19.5 overs in the presence of a crowd of 16,000 people in Sharjah.
Next challenge awaits Pakistan after victory
The victory against Afghanistan preconditioned the next task of Pakistan in the tournament. They will host UAE on Saturday, August 30. The two are to face each other twice, and the two best sides will proceed to the final on September 7.
The cricket world has been by his side, so as Rashid Khan attempts to cope with the loss of his personal life. The hug of Shaheen Afridi served as a reminder of the friendship that goes beyond competitions and it connects players with respect and sympathy towards one another.
