Afghanistan secured automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup with a win over Ireland on Monday, leaving twice champions West Indies to go through qualifiers for the third successive edition of the 50-overs tournament.

"A great innings has come to an end. In our hearts, now and forever, Sir Garfield Sobers," West Indies Cricket posted on X above a photograph of him titled 'Legend. Icon. Hero'.

The West Indies scored 196-6 largely thanks to Sherfane Rutherford's brutal unbeaten 76 and some late hitting from Jason Holder.

West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder capped a remarkable 2025 by becoming the most prolific wicket-taker in T20 cricket in a single calendar year, breaking a long-standing record held by Afghanistan’s spin king Rashid Khan.

For Chase, the series brought little relief. He managed only 42 runs at an average of seven across three matches, the second-worst figures for a captain dismissed six or more times in a Test series.

Hope was 116 not out and Greaves 55 with the pair putting on 140 for the fifth wicket after the West Indies were in dire straits at 72-4.

Ish Sodhi's 3-34 moved the New Zealand leg-spinner to third on the all-time list of T20 international wicket-takers with 156.

The West Indies, who landed in New Zealand only two days ago, struggled on the Eden Park drop-in wicket that offered some seam and turn to the home bowlers, making 164-6 from their 20 overs.

Roston Chase, who is a familiar face across all three formats for the Caribbean side and also their Test skipper, recently talked to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan on the recent and upcoming events, including the two-tier system in Test cricket and the T20 World Cup.

The former West Indies cricketer, who previously visited Bangladesh as a player for the West Indies and in the Bangladesh Premier League, is now relishing his new role as a commentator in the ongoing white-ball series between the two sides.

If the Ahmedabad defeat was bruising, the Sharjah collapse was shattering.

Nepal produced a stunning performance to bowl the West Indies out for just 83 in the second T20I in Sharjah on Monday and claim a 2-0 victory in their first-ever series against a Test-playing country with a game to spare.

The Pakistani spin specialists halted the West Indies' chase of 179 to ease to a 14-run victory under the lights in Lauderhill, Florida.

All-rounder Russell, who won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016, has earned 84 international caps in the format, scoring three fifties and taking 61 wickets.

Brathwaite is set to become only the 10th cricketer in West Indies history to reach the coveted milestone of 100 Test appearances.

"One thing I could say is that we believe in justice. We are a community that believes justice must be served. However, there's a process. We will continue to support in whatever way we can to make sure that due process and the right system is followed."

The marginal decisions added another layer of intrigue to an already absorbing Test match.

Referencing other high-profile players like Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock, Sammy noted, “It’s out of our control.”

Pooran hit 13 half-centuries in 106 Twenty20 Internationals and amassed 2,275 runs to become West Indies' leading scorer in the shortest format.

The 32-year-old Brathwaite, who is two matches shy of reaching the 100-Test mark, led the team to a first Test victory in Australia in 27 years with an eight-run win in Brisbane last year.