Kamal holds the chase together
Zahidullah Kamal’s calm 30 off 38 became the spine of a tense chase as Finland edged Sweden by one wicket with nine balls remaining. With wickets tumbling around him, Kamal stitched together the best stand of Finland’s innings — 27 with Salonen — to keep the target within reach. Even after Sweden’s bowlers dragged the game deep, Finland’s tail found enough runs to finish at 108/9 in 18.4 overs.
Sweden’s powerplay squeeze bites
The match was shaped most clearly in the powerplay, where Sweden’s new-ball discipline left Finland 39/2 and searching for momentum. That early squeeze meant the chase never felt comfortable, and it set up Rahmani’s spell to attack a fragile middle order. Finland’s middle phase slowed to 51/5, and only a late push — 20 runs in the death overs at a brisker rate — prevented the chase from slipping away entirely.
Rahmani stars, Junaid sets up
Rahmani was the standout, conceding only eight in his four overs while taking 3/8 to repeatedly stall Finland’s progress. Baluch’s 3/12 provided crucial support, ensuring the target stayed tricky until the end. Earlier, Muhammad Junaid Khan’s 2/14 helped keep Sweden in check, with Yatharth Chauhan’s 25 off 23 the only innings that briefly lifted Sweden’s tempo in the middle overs.
Rahmani’s spell turns the screw
Sweden’s bowlers kept the pressure constant, with Rahmani and Naser Baluch combining to remove six batters for just 20 runs. The chase swung sharply as Finland lost three wickets in the middle overs, forcing Kamal to switch from boundary-hunting to strike-rotation. Sweden, though, had little margin after being bowled out for 107 in 19.3 overs, and Finland’s lower order managed the final stretch without a last-over finish.



