In a moment of thrilling cricket history, Afghanistan stunned the cricketing world with a historic win over the Australian team in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. This landmark victory was registered on Sunday, June 23, as per IST, at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent. The Afghan team triumphed over their much-fancied opponents by a margin of 21 runs, marking their maiden win against Australia in any cricket format.
The cornerstone of this memorable win was the robust performance of Afghanistan’s opening batters, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. This dynamic duo set the pace for Afghanistan’s innings with a remarkable 118-run partnership at the top of the order, providing a sturdy foundation that their bowlers successfully defended later in the match. This extraordinary effort not only laid the bedrock for their victory but also saw Gurbaz and Zadran rewriting the history books by breaking a longstanding T20 World Cup record.
Gurbaz and Zadran have become the first pair in T20I history to notch up three partnerships exceeding 100 runs in a single T20I series or World Cup. Previously, the record for most 100-plus partnerships in a single T20 World Cup edition was a feat jointly held by three notable pairs: Australia’s Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, India’s Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. These cricketing icons had accomplished two such century partnerships in their respective World Cup campaigns.
For context, Hayden and Gilchrist achieved their record during the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, while Sharma and Kohli matched this feat in the 2014 edition. More recently, Azam and Rizwan had set the same benchmark in the 2021 World Cup. However, Gurbaz and Zadran’s phenomenal performance has now eclipsed these records, adding a new chapter to T20 World Cup history.
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In the high-stakes match against Australia, Gurbaz and Zadran exhibited exceptional skill and composure, each scoring individual fifties. Gurbaz led from the front with a brisk 60, while Zadran supported him with a solid 51. Despite both batsmen benefiting from lapses in Australia’s fielding, their contributions were invaluable. Gurbaz was the first to fall after scoring 60, followed closely by Zadran, who was dismissed for 51.
The pair’s record-breaking spree in the current World Cup began with Afghanistan’s opening match against Uganda, where they stitched together a colossal 154-run partnership. In that game, Zadran was the first to be dismissed for a fine 70, followed by Gurbaz who was knocked out for 76 just four deliveries later. Their next 100-plus partnership came against New Zealand, where they laid a strong foundation with a 103-run opening stand. Zadran contributed 44 runs before getting out, whereas Gurbaz remained a key figure till late in the innings, amassing a score of 80.
Afghanistan’s breakthrough win was not just a testament to the batting prowess of Gurbaz and Zadran but also highlighted the team’s overall resilience and tactical acumen. The bowlers played a crucial role in defending the target of 148 runs, effectively restricting the experienced Australian batting lineup and securing a landmark win for Afghanistan on the grand stage of the T20 World Cup.
As Afghanistan continues their World Cup campaign, the cricketing world will be keenly watching if this skilled squad can carry forward their momentum and script further historic wins. The significance of Gurbaz and Zadran’s record-breaking partnership will undoubtedly go down in cricket lore, symbolizing not just a triumph of skills but also the rising stature of Afghanistan in international cricket.
