Chennai, February 19 – Opener Ibrahim Zadran hit an unbeaten 95 – his second consecutive fifty – as Afghanistan posted 200/4 in 20 overs against Canada in their final Group D match of the Men’s T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.
Put in to bat first, and also in what was Jonathan Trott’s final game as their head coach, Afghanistan started steadily before Canada struck back in the sixth over, with pacer Jaskaran Singh dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Gulbadin Naib in four consecutive balls.
Zadran then anchored the innings, supported by Sediqullah Atal in a 95-run stand off 59 balls for the third wicket. Zadran brought up his second consecutive fifty of the tournament, while Atal was out in the 16th over for 44 off 32 balls.
Zadran, who had been dropped on 54 by Canada's Navneet Dhaliwal, capitalized on the opportunity to steer Afghanistan to exactly 200 in a 56-ball innings, with seven fours and five sixes at a strike-rate of 169.64. This is also the first time Afghanistan has posted a total of 200 in their history of participating in the tournament.
Canada's bowlers had a mixed outing, with Jaskaran Singh taking 3-52 and Dilon Heyliger claiming 1-41. Afghanistan's total looks formidable, leaving Canada with a challenging target if they are to end their campaign on a high note.
Afghanistan reached 49 in the Powerplay but faltered when Gurbaz, who had been in good form, was dismissed attempting a risky shot, while Naib was bowled after playing a full-length delivery.
This double blow briefly checked Afghanistan's momentum, but Zadran, calm and composed, found an able ally in Atal. The pair mixed calculated risk with fluent strokeplay. Atal, who hit seven boundaries in his 44, was out in the 16th over while trying to accelerate, but by then the innings had been firmly stabilised.
Zadran made the most of the reprieve given to him by Dhaliwal, playing his final international game on 54, by hitting drives, sweeps, and lofted strokes to keep the score ticking. His innings combined patience with power, and the ability to adapt in the middle overs ensured that Afghanistan never lost sight of a big total.
Canada's bowlers had moments of control, but their lines and lengths faltered under pressure in the death overs. Afghanistan capitalized by scoring 69 runs in the final five overs, with Zadran ensuring boundaries flowed and setting the stage for a gripping second innings.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 200/4 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 95 not out, Sediqullah Atal 44; Jaskaran Singh 3-52, Dilon Heyliger 1-41) against Canada
