Ibrahim Zadran smashes his third ODI hundred, enters record books
Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran clubbed a record 162 off 138 deliveries against Sri Lanka in the third and final match of the series on Wednesday. The opening batter whacked 15 fours and 4 sixes before Asitha Fernando dismissed him on the last ball of the innings. Smashing his second ton of the series, Ibrahim piloted Afghanistan to 313/8 in the decider. We decode his stats.
Why does this story matter?
It was a calculated knock from the right-hander as he notched his third ODI ton with a four off Asitha Fernando in the 39th over. Ibrahim smacked two more boundaries in the same over. Notably, the 20-year-old managed a match-winning ton in the series opener (106 off 120), helping Afghanistan take a 1-0 lead. There's loads of success to come for the youngster.
Ibrahim slams these records
As per Kausthub Gudipati, Ibrahim now holds the highest score by an Afghan batter in 50-over cricket (162). He bettered Mohammad Shahzad (131* vs Zimbabwe, 2015). It is also the highest individual score by a batter against Sri Lanka in SL. He surpassed Gautam Gambhir (150, 2009) and Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar (138, 2009). It is the joint-ninth-highest score against Sri Lanka in ODIs.
Joint-highest score for Afghanistan in limited-overs cricket
As per Kausthub Gudipati, 162 is the joint-highest score by an Afghanistan batter in both ODIs and T20Is. There's an interesting coincidence to this feat. Ibrahim clocked the record score while aged 20 years and 11 months (vs SL). Meanwhile, Hazratullah Zazai whipped a 62-ball 162* against Ireland in 2019 while aged 20 years and 11 months.
Decoding Ibrahim's ODI career
Ibrahim made his debut in 50-overs cricket against West Indies in 2019. He has since amassed 433 runs while averaging a mouth-dropping 61.85. He strikes at just over 87. Ibrahim (431) is Afghanistan's second-highest run-getter in ODIs this year, behind veteran Rahmat Shah (616). He pipped Rahmanullah Gurbaz (402) in this regard. Ibrahim's inning-wise scores: 2, 19, 5, 120*, 8, 106, 10, and 162.
How did Afghanistan's innings pan out?
Opting to bat, Afghanistan lost Gurbaz cheaply, while Rahmat departed after the Powerplay. Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (4) was dismissed soon, bringing their score to 57/3 in 14.1 overs. He was then joined by Najibullah Zadran (77), with the pair fetching a whopping 154-run stand to put Afghanistan on top. For SL, pacer Kasun Rajitha (3/60) shone with his second three-fer of the series.
A historic partnership for Afghanistan
As per ESPNcricinfo, Ibrahim and Najibullah now hold the record for the highest batting partnership by Afghanistan against Sri Lanka in ODIs (154). They bettered the 118-run stand inked by Ibrahim and Rahmat in the first ODI.
