June 4th 2024.
Afghanistan's T20 World Cup campaign started off with a blazing performance as they secured a convincing 125-run win over debutants Uganda. It was a fiery spell from Pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi that sealed the deal after an impressive opening partnership between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran set the tone for Afghanistan's victory.
Kolkata Knight Riders' opener Gurbaz and his partner Zadran put up the second highest opening partnership in the men's T20 World Cup, amassing a solid 183 runs for Afghanistan after being asked to bat first. The team's skipper and cricket icon, Rashid Khan, expressed his satisfaction with the team's mindset and overall performance.
"The kind of start we wanted as a team. It doesn't matter who we play, it's all about our mindset," said Rashid in a post-match interview. He also praised the hard work put in by the team in the past few weeks, as well as the strong start by the openers and the impressive bowling by the team.
"One of the best things about this team is the variety of options we have, which makes my job as a captain easier," gushed Rashid, the world's premier T20 spinner.
The star of the match, however, was left-arm pacer Farooqi, who claimed his maiden five-wicket haul and was twice on the verge of a hat-trick. He was lethal with the new ball, dismissing two batsmen in his first over and continuing to wreak havoc for the Ugandan batting line-up. Farooqi was named the 'Player of the Match' for his outstanding performance.
"I have missed out on claiming a hat-trick a few times, but it's something that's not under my control. If I get another chance, I'll definitely go for it," said Farooqi while receiving his award. He also credited his experience of playing in franchise cricket, particularly for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, for helping him improve and perform on the big stage.
With a fast outfield and the ball coming nicely onto the bat, Afghanistan's openers began their innings strong. Gurbaz took the role of the aggressor, hitting a six off the second ball of the innings. Zadran followed suit, scoring four consecutive boundaries in the sixth over off Dinesh Nakrani.
By the end of the first powerplay, Afghanistan were scoring at an impressive rate of 11 runs per over. Gurbaz, who hit four boundaries and as many sixes, reached his half century off just 28 balls in the ninth over. Zadran, on the other hand, reached his fifty in the 12th over with nine boundaries and one six to his name.
Uganda's poor fielding only added to their woes as they dropped Gurbaz off a no-ball in the 14th over, which resulted in 25 runs for Afghanistan. It seemed like the duo would bat the full 20 overs, but Uganda's bowlers fought back and managed to keep the total under 200.
Afghanistan's next challenge will be against a formidable New Zealand side, and Rashid is aware of the tough task ahead. "It's a big game for us and we need to keep things simple," he said. With such a strong start to their campaign, Afghanistan will surely be a team to watch out for in the T20 World Cup.
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