Iran beat Uzbekistan 119-82 in the Norway Tri-National T20I series on Saturday, 30 August 2026. The hosts turned the tables on their neighbours after losing 109-111 the day before. To be fair, the margin of victory told its own story.
Uzbekistan had come into this fixture with momentum. They had beaten Iran 111-109 on Friday and also recorded a comfortable 145-74 win over Norway on the previous evening. By then, the visitors looked like the team on a good run.
Iran's response was decisive. They posted 119 runs before bowling Uzbekistan out for 82. The result extended Iran's unbeaten run in the series to one match, while ending Uzbekistan's two-game winning streak. Not that anyone expected them to coast.
The scoreline contrasted sharply with recent form. Uzbekistan had posted 124 against Afghanistan on 10 July and 130 against Indonesia on 26 June, but those were against different opposition. Their last defeat came against Thailand on 25 June, a narrow 37-38 loss.
Iran's previous outings had not gone their way. They had fallen to Norway 71-93 on Friday before the loss to Uzbekistan. This time they tightened things up, and the crowd roared them on through a match that was never in doubt after the first over.
And here's the thing about this series. It is still early days, but the pattern is becoming clear. Iran are showing they can raise the tempo when they need to, while Uzbekistan's away form has been inconsistent since that Afghanistan game.
The result leaves Iran on top of the mini-table after two matches, with Uzbekistan second. Norway sit third after losses to both sides. The gap between first and last is seven points, but that is a small sample and nothing more.