Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by 19 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series, with captain Rashid Khan becoming the first bowler to claim 200 wickets in men’s T20 Internationals.
Rashid reached the milestone in his 120th T20I appearance, extending his lead at the top of the all-time wicket-takers’ list. England’s Adil Rashid occupies second place with 171 wickets from 153 matches.
Afghanistan’s victory was built on a remarkable batting recovery after a disastrous start. Put in to bat, the visitors slumped to 5 for 4 inside the powerplay before losing their fifth wicket in the ninth over.
However, Azmatullah Omarzai and Ijaz Ahmadzai staged a stunning comeback, adding 142 runs for the sixth wicket. Their partnership set a record for the highest stand for the sixth wicket or lower in T20I cricket.
Omarzai led the recovery with his maiden T20I century, scoring 116 runs in an aggressive innings featuring 12 sixes and five fours. He became only the fourth Afghanistan batter to score a century in the format.
Ahmadzai provided valuable support with 52 runs as the pair helped Afghanistan recover from their early collapse.
Their partnership propelled Afghanistan to 221 for 7 in 20 overs, making them the first team in T20I history to post a total exceeding 200 after losing their first four wickets for fewer than 20 runs.
The total was also Afghanistan’s third-highest in T20 Internationals.
Chasing a challenging target of 222, Zimbabwe struggled to build momentum and were reduced to 85 for 5 midway through their innings.
However, captain Sikandar Raza led a spirited fightback, registering his second T20I century with an innings featuring five fours and nine sixes.
Despite Raza’s efforts, Zimbabwe fell 19 runs short of the target as Afghanistan secured victory and wrapped up the series with one match remaining.
The result also marked a significant milestone for Rashid, who became the first bowler to reach 200 wickets in men’s T20I cricket.
(ANI Inputs)
