Afghanistan rout debutants Uganda in T20 World Cup opener

AFP | Georgetown

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Afghanistan produced a dominant bowling and batting performance to thrash debutants Uganda by 125 runs in the T20 World Cup in Guyana on Monday.

Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran laid the foundations for the win with an opening stand of 154 in Afghanistan’s 183-5. Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi dazzled with five wickets for just nine runs as Uganda were skittled for 58 in 16 overs. “It was the kind of start we wanted as a team,” Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said.

“It does not matter who we play, it is about the mindset. “The hard work we have done in the last few weeks, the way the openers started and the way our bowlers bowled -- it was a great overall team effort.” Afghanistan had looked poised for a massive total after Gurbaz’s 76 off 45 balls which included four fours and four sixes.

Zadran was in similarly swashbuckling form, blasting 70 off 46 deliveries including nine fours and a six.

Gurbaz and Zadran’s opening partnership was the second highest in men’s T20 World Cup history, beaten only by the 170 by England’s Jos Buttler and Alex Hales in 2022.

But when Gurbaz and Zadran fell in the space of four balls, Uganda were able to peg back Afghanistan.

Masaba claimed a piece of cricket history for the East African nation after taking his country’s first ever World Cup wicket, bowling Zadran in the 15th over to leave the score at 154-1.