Rashid Khan Reaches Historic T20 Wicket Milestone in Afghanistan Victory
Afghanistan maintained a slender chance of progressing at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after securing a five-wicket win against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The match, played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, was notable for a landmark achievement by star leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who reached 700 wickets in Twenty20 cricket. This victory marks Afghanistan’s first points in Group D, though their path to the Super Eight remains challenging.
The pivotal moment arrived in the 15th over when Muhammad Arfan of the UAE attempted an ambitious reverse sweep against Rashid Khan. In a highly unusual dismissal, Arfan inadvertently dislodged the bails with his bat, resulting in a ‘hit wicket’ – a method of dismissal that had never occurred in Rashid’s previous 699 T20 wickets. Remarkably, this was the first time in 11,794 deliveries bowled in his T20 career that the 27-year-old had claimed a wicket in this fashion.
Dominant Bowling Performance Fuels Afghanistan’s Charge
Rashid Khan’s historic wicket contributed to a strong bowling display from Afghanistan. He finished with economical figures of 1-24 from his four overs. However, it was Azmatullah Omarzai who truly shone with the ball, claiming an impressive 4-15. This collective effort restricted the UAE to a total of 160-9.
The UAE’s batting innings was anchored by Sohaib Khan, who delivered a robust 68 off 48 balls, including six boundaries and four maximums. Alishan Sharafu also contributed with a quickfire 40 from 31 deliveries, providing valuable support. Despite their efforts, the UAE’s total proved insufficient against Afghanistan’s determined batting lineup.
Dramatic Chase and Remaining World Cup Prospects
Afghanistan’s pursuit of the target began shakily with the early dismissal of Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck. However, Ibrahim Zadran quickly seized control, crafting a composed 53 off just 21 balls to accelerate the scoring. Despite a brief slowdown caused by Muhammad Arfan, who took 2-30, Afghanistan remained on course.
Azmatullah Omarzai once again proved crucial, this time with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 40 off 21 balls to guide his team to victory with four balls remaining. While Afghanistan now has their first win, they face a difficult task to qualify. They must defeat New Zealand in their final group match and improve their net run-rate to surpass both New Zealand and the UAE. The UAE, also on two points, need to overcome South Africa and achieve a superior net run-rate to stay in contention.
