Chennai,Feb 19 (.) A scintillating unbeaten knock of 95 by opener Ibrahim Zadran and useful contribution by Sediqullah Atal guided Afghanistan to a commanding 200 for four in their last Group D league match in the T20 World Cup match at the M A Chidambaram stadium here tonight.
Afghanistan’s big total was due to the superlative knock of Ibrahmim Zadran who came up with a solid knock and with able support from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal, to guide the team to 200 for four.
Zadran remained unbeaten till the end scoring a 56-ball 95 with seven fours and five sixers and was instrumental in Afghanistan adding 69 runs in the final five overs to set a stiff target for Canada, for whom pacer Jaskaran Singh ws the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, including two in an over in the last over of the power play.
Asked to bat first, Afghanistan, got off to a bright start before losing two wickets at the end of the power play at 49 for two, losing opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (30, 20 balls, 5×4) and Gulbaid Naib (1).
Gurbaz added 47 for the first wicket with Zadran in 5.3 overs and laid a solid platform.
Notwithstanding losing two wickets in the same over of pacer Jaskaran Singh, Afghan innings’ momentum continued as Saidqullah Atal and Zadan picked up runs at a brisk pace.
Both the batters picked the bowlers on a wicket where the ball came nicely to the bat, hitting boundaries consistently as Afghanistan reached the halfway stage at 86 for two.
Their association grew from strength to strengthen with Zadran being the dominant partner. Atal too exploded hitting two fours and two sixers in his 32-ball 44, before fell to Jaskaran Singh, handing him his third wicket.
Zadran and Atal added 95 for the third wicket in 9.5 overs as AFghans headed for a total close to the 200-mark.
From 131 for two in 15 overs, Zadran, despite losing Azmatullah Omarzai (13, 7 balls, 1×6), stepped up the pedal and guided the team to a dominant total reaching the 200 mark and remained undefeated till the end.
. GV 2052