New Delhi, September 13 (Daily Kiran) : Ajmatullah Omarzai delivered a standout performance in the first T20 match against India at Arun Jaitley Stadium, scoring an unbeaten 64 runs off 44 balls. His innings included four sixes and four fours, making him the second-highest scorer for Afghanistan in T20 matches against India while batting at sixth position or lower.
Omarzai now ranks just behind Sri Lanka‘s Dasun Shanaka, who recorded an unbeaten 74 in Dharamsala in 2022. This score also ties him with Ibrahim Zadran, who achieved the same total in Dubai the same year, representing the highest score by an Afghan batsman against India in T20 cricket.
Batting first after losing the toss, Afghanistan struggled early, losing their first wicket for just five runs. Captain Ibrahim Zadran attempted to stabilize the innings, forming a 32-run partnership with Sedikullah Atal (13) for the second wicket. However, Zadran’s dismissal for 11 triggered a collapse, and Afghanistan found themselves reeling at 43 runs with five wickets down.
Omarzai then partnered with Mohammad Nabi, contributing significantly to a sixth-wicket stand of 83 runs off 56 balls, pushing the score to 125. Nabi scored 33 runs from 27 balls before the team lost its eighth wicket at 131. Undeterred, Omarzai added 25 runs in an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership with Mujeeb Ur Rahman off just nine balls, helping Afghanistan to a total of 156 runs.
On the bowling side, India’s Arshdeep Singh was the standout performer, taking three wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy each claimed one wicket.
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