In a thrilling finale at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, Afghanistan capped off their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a resounding 82-run victory over Canada on Thursday. The win doubled as a heartfelt send-off for head coach Jonathan Trott, whose tenure came to an emotional close.
Captain Rashid Khan, visibly moved, led the tributes post-match. ‘Jonathan Trott has done so much for Afghanistan cricket,’ Rashid said. ‘These past four and a half years have been incredible with him. He’s been pivotal in bringing us to this level. Seeing him leave is heartbreaking, but that’s life – you can’t be together forever. We wish him all the best and hope our paths cross again.’
Rashid reflected on the tournament’s highs and lows. Afghanistan entered with high hopes and delivered some standout performances, but a defeat to South Africa proved a turning point. ‘That loss put us on the back foot and hurt the most,’ he admitted. ‘We knew we needed at least one win from our first two games to control our fate, but tournaments have their own twists.’
Despite finishing with two wins and two losses in the group stage, positives abound. Rashid highlighted the need for improvements, particularly in middle-order batting against top teams and death bowling. ‘Many things went well, and we’ll build on them for the next ICC event,’ he vowed. ‘But we must work on our weaknesses to come back stronger.’
As fans bid goodbye to Trott, Afghanistan looks ahead, carrying forward the foundations he helped lay in their cricketing journey.