Zazai takes Afghans to record T20 score, big win vs Ireland
NEW DELHI: Afghanistan opener Hazratullah Zazai smashed an unbeaten 162 and raised an alltime best partnership to power his team to a world record T20 international score of 278/3 against Ireland on Saturday. Leg-spinner Rashid Khan then grabbed 4/25 to apply the brakes on Ireland’s robust chase to complete an 84-run victory in the match played on neutral turf in Dehradun.
Afghanistan went 2-0 up in the three-match T20 series after Rashid, who came on with Ireland on 109/0 in 10 overs, struck at regular intervals and restrictedthechaseto194/6. The series is being played in the Uttarakhand capital. century.
He struck 16 sixes and 11 fours to collect a whopping 140 runs through big shots in his 62-ball knock.
Afghanistan
Australia
Sri Lanka
India
MENACING
Australia
The 20-year-old Zazai tore into the Ireland attack. He raced to 100 off only 42 deliveries, becoming only the second Afghan batsman to score a T20 international
278/3
263/3
260/6
260/5
248/6
Ireland
Sri Lanka
Kenya
Sri Lanka
England
Ireland all-rounder Kevin O’brien was among the bowlers to bear the brunt as Zazai took 25 runs off the 17th over bowled by him that went for 28 runs.
Zazai raced past Mohammad Shahzad’s Afghan T20 record of 118 not out as he joined fellow opener Usman Ghani (73 – 48b, 7x4, 3x6) to pummel the bowling. The pair raised 236 runs in 17.3 overs – the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 internationals -- before Ireland achieved their first breakthrough, having Ghani caught off Boyd Rankin. The previous record was 223, between Aaron Finch and D’arcy Short against Zimbabwe in 2017.
Ireland’s improbable chase was led by Paul Stirling (91 – 50b, 12x4, 2x6) and Kevin O’brien (37), but that shuddered to a halt once Rashid Khan came on to bowl. Brief scores: Afghanistan 278/3 in 20 overs (H Zazai 162*, U Ghani 73);
Ireland 194/6 in 20 overs (P Stirling 91, R Khan 4/25)