Afghanistan claim maiden international series versus Pakistan: Key stats
Team Afghanistan scripted history on Sunday (March 26) by claiming their maiden international series win over Pakistan. The Rashid Khan-led side thrashed the Men in Green by seven wickets in the second T20I to get the honor. Notably, the contest went right down to the wire as Afghanistan, while chasing 131, crossed the line on the penultimate delivery. Here are the key stats.
How did the game pan out?
Pakistan finished at 130/6 after winning the toss and opting to bat in Sharjah. While they were tottering at 20/3 at one stage, Imad Wasim (64*) rescued them with a well-paced knock. Skipper Shadab Khan also made a handy 25-ball 32. In reply, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (44), Ibrahim Zadran (38), Najibullah Zadran (23*), and Mohammad Nabi (14*) powered Afghanistan to victory.
Maiden T20I fifty for Wasim
With the help of three boundaries and two maximums, Wasim returned unbeaten on 64 off 57 balls. It was his maiden T20I fifty as he has now raced to 421 runs in 60 T20Is, striking at 129.54. The left-arm spinner also owns 56 wickets in T20Is with his economy being 6.26. Notably, the ongoing series marked Wasim's return to Pakistan colors after November 2021.
Key numbers for the Afghan bowlers
Fazalhaq Farooqi was the pick of the Afghan bowlers, claiming 2/19 in four overs. He has now raced to 25 wickets in 21 T20Is with his economy rate being 6.4. Meanwhile, Rashid Khan, who claimed 1/16, has now raced to 128 T20I wickets (ER: 6.16). Only Tim Southee (134) and Shakib Al Hasan (131) own more wickets in the T20I format.
1,000 runs for Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Gurbaz scored 44 off 49 balls and during the course, he became the sixth Afghanistan batter to complete 1,000 T20I runs. He joined Mohammad Shahzad (2,015), Mohammad Nabi (1,738), Najibullah Zadran (1,684), Asghar Afghan (1,382), and Samiullah Shinwari (1,013). Gurbaz has now raced to 1,001 runs in 40 games at 25.02 (SR: 133.82). The tally includes five fifties with his highest score being 87.
Ibrahim inching toward 500 runs
Batting at number three, Ibrahim scored a handy 38 off 40 balls. He has now smoked 497 runs in 21 T20Is at an average and strike rate of 29.24 and 104.19. He has a couple of half-centuries in the format.
Do you know?
Prior to the side, Afghanistan had never won any international game versus Pakistan. The two sides met in four ODIs and three T20Is before, and the Men in Green emerged winners every single time. However, Afghanistan have now broken the streak with an emphatic series win. Rashid's team will now aim for a whitewash in the third and final game on March 27.
