Sports
Shadab Khan's All-Round Brilliance Snaps Amazon Warriors' Six-Match Winning Streak
Shadab Khan delivered a match-winning all-round performance to end Guyana Amazon Warriors' six-game winning streak in CPL 2026, as Antigua and Barbuda Falcons secured a commanding 65-run victory. The result also lifted the Falcons to the top of the points table, though both teams had already secured their spots in the knockout stage. Batting first, the Falcons posted 182/5 in their 20 overs, a total built largely on Shadab's late surge. He came to the crease with the score at 120/4 in the 16.3rd over and launched an aggressive assault, smashing an unbeaten 30 off just nine balls. His innings included a remarkable sequence of 6, 6, 6, 4 in the final over bowled by Romario Shepherd, which alone yielded 26 runs. Earlier, the Falcons had lost both openers, Karima Gore and Evin Lewis, by the eighth over. Hasan Nawaz, who was the team's top scorer with 36 runs, then added 47 runs with Amir Jangoo to push the total past 100 by the 14th over. Though that partnership ended just before the death overs, Shadab's late hitting kept the innings in full flow. Support came from Moeen Ali, who struck two sixes in a 12-ball 18, and Fabian Allen, who also cleared the ropes in a quickfire seven-ball 11. In total, the Falcons added 72 runs off the final 30 balls, setting a target that proved well beyond the Warriors' reach. Shadab continued his impact with the ball, returning figures of 2 for 19 with 13 dot balls in his spell. The Falcons' bowling attack dismantled the Warriors' chase, with pacer Alzarri Joseph leading the effort by claiming four wickets. Opener Mavendra Dindyal top-scored for the Warriors with a 13-ball 25 during the Powerplay, but his side lost four wickets inside the first six overs, including that of Shimron Hetmyer. Despite maintaining a run rate of around 10 an over in the middle overs, the Warriors slumped to 100/8 after 10 overs and were bowled out for just 117 in the 15th over. Pakistan's Sufyan Moqim, a left-arm wrist spinner, took 2 for 18 in three overs, while medium-pacer Joshua James finished with 2 for 11, including the final wicket that sealed the Falcons' emphatic win. Brief scores: Antigua and Barbuda Falcons 182/5 in 20 overs (Hasan Nawaz 36, Shadab Khan 30 not out; Imran Tahir 1-21) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 117 in 14.2 overs (Mavendra Dindyal 25; Alzarri Joseph 4-41, Shadab Khan 2-19, Sufyan Moqim 2-18, Joshua James 2-11) by 65 runs.