NEW DELHI: Afghanistan posted a commanding 183/5 against Uganda in their Group C
T20 World Cup
clash at Providence Stadium on Monday, fueled by a dominant opening partnership between
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
and
Ibrahim Zadran
. The duo's 154-run stand marked the second-highest opening partnership in men's T20 World Cup history, setting a formidable platform for Afghanistan's innings.
Gurbaz spearheaded the scoring onslaught, blasting 76 runs off a mere 45 deliveries, while Zadran provided steadfast support with a well-crafted 70 off 46 balls.
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Their aggressive approach capitalized on favourable batting conditions, characterized by a true bounce and a fast outfield. Uganda's bowling attack struggled to contain the rampant openers, conceding loose deliveries and compounding their woes with fielding lapses.
The opening partnership gained early momentum, with Zadran finding his rhythm in the sixth over, dispatching four consecutive boundaries. By the end of the powerplay, Afghanistan had raced to 75-0, surpassing their previous highest powerplay score in T20 World Cups (64/2 against South Africa in 2016).
Gurbaz reached his half-century in the ninth over, his maiden fifty in T20 World Cups, punctuated by four sixes and two fours. The century partnership arrived soon after, underscoring the pair's dominance. Afghanistan's run rate remained consistently high, with Gurbaz and Zadran punishing anything loose from the Ugandan bowlers.
Bilal Shah endured a particularly challenging over, conceding 25 runs, including five wides and five no-balls, further bolstering Afghanistan's total past the 150-run mark.
Uganda finally broke the formidable partnership in the 16th over when captain Brian Masaba dismissed Zadran. Alpesh Ramjani followed up by removing Gurbaz, bringing an end to a record-breaking stand.
Despite the late dismissals, Afghanistan seemed poised for a score exceeding 200. However, the Ugandan bowlers, spearheaded by Cosmas Kyewuta and Brian Masaba, tightened their lines and lengths in the final overs.
Najibullah Zadran
and
Gulbadin Naib
departed cheaply, restricting Afghanistan to 27 runs in the last five overs.
Despite the late fightback, Uganda face a daunting chase of 184, largely due to the explosive start provided by Gurbaz and Zadran. Their record-breaking partnership has set the tone for an exciting T20 World Cup clash.
Brief score:
Afghanistan 183/5 (Ibrahim Zadran 70, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 76; Brian Masaba 2-21) vs Uganda.
(Inputs from ANI)
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