Afghanistan’s National Cricket Team broke a few records in T20 Int’l cricket as they got a total of 278 runs for three in their allotted 20 overs against Ireland in the second T20I of the three-match series in India on Saturday.
With this, Afghanistan surpassed the record-highest T20I total of 263/3 by Australia, which they posted against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2016.
After opting to bat, Hazratullah Zazai and Osman Ghani established a new record for the opening-wicket partnership with a 236-run stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. In the end, Hazratullah Zazai was unbeaten on 162, highest score in T20 Internationals by an Asian batsman.
278/3 – Highest T20I total
236 – Highest T20I partnership
16 – Most sixes in an individual T20I innings
162* – Second-highest T20I score
42 balls – Third-fastest men’s T20I ton
“Just a few records broken by Afghanistan today!,” ICC tweeted.
In the series-opener, Afghanistan’s all-rounder Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran stitched an unbeaten 86-run stand for the sixth-wicket to lead their team to a five-wicket win at the same venue.
Nabi took 2-16 with his off-spin bowling and restricted Ireland to 6-132 before scoring an unbeaten 49 off 40 balls to carry Afghanistan to 5-136 in 19.2 overs on Thursday.
Afghanistan’s chase began badly, the top order crumbling to 5-50 inside the first eight overs against seamers. But Nabi and Najibullah Zadran came to the rescue with an unbeaten 86-run stand.
