IPL 2023: Noor Ahmad's three-fer helps GT beat MI
Gujarat Titans beat Mumbai Indians in match number 35 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. The Titans successfully defended 207/6, restricting MI to 152/9 in 20 overs. Noor Ahmad did the damage with a three-fer, while Rashid Khan and Mohi Sharma took two wickets each. The Afghanistan wrist-spinner was formidable once again.
Another impressive spell by Noor
Afghanistan's left-arm wrist spinner Noor was the pick of GT's bowlers. Although the youngster conceded 37 runs in three overs, he took the key wickets of Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tim David. Noor, who was bought by GT in the 2022 auction, has been impressive so far. The 22-year-old played his maiden IPL match in the ongoing season.
How did the match pan out?
GT were off to a positive start after MI elected to field (PP: 50/1). Shubman Gill smashed a brilliant half-century, while Manohar and Miller shared a 71-run stand. David Miller and Rahul Tewatia propelled them past 200 and finished off well. The MI batters were at bay in the Powerplay. Rashid, Noor, and Mohit shared seven wickets as MI fell short by 55 runs.
Four-fer on T20I debut
Noor made his much-awaited T20I debut last year against Zimbabwe, recording match-winning figures worth 4/10 in four overs. These are the best returns for an Afghanistan bowler on T20I debut. His only other international appearance to date was recorded in an ODI versus Sri Lanka in November 2022. Noor returned with 0/32 in four overs. The Afghan team lost that contest by four wickets.
Noor's run at the Under-19 World Cup
In 2019, Noor broke into the Afghanistan Under-19 side and represented the team on youth ODI tours to Sri Lanka and India. Eventually, he was named in Afghanistan's 15-man squad for the 2020 ICC Under-19 World Cup. At the grand stage, Noor scalped seven wickets from five games at an economy of 3.93. This included the best figures of 3/30 against UAE (group-stage encounter).
