Hazratullah powers Afghanistan to record T20I total
Afghanistan put up 278 for three in 20 overs, with Hazratullah Zazai smashing a 62-ball 162.
Published : Feb 23, 2019 20:36 IST
Afghanistan, which became the 12th Test-playing nation last year, added another feather to its cap on Saturday by recording the highest team total in Twenty20 International. Batting first against Ireland in the second T20I in Dehradun, Afghanistan posted 278 for three, going past Australia's 263 for three against Sri Lanka a little more than two years ago.
Hazratullah Zazai was the wrecker in chief with a 62-ball 162, his innings laced with 16 sixes and 11 fours. Zazai's 162 is the second-highest individual score behind Aaron Finch's 172 against Zimbabwe in Harare last year.
His opening partner, Usman Ghani, complemented him with a 48-ball 73, an innings punctuated with seven fours and three sixes.
Zazai's 16 sixes is the most by an individual batsman in a T20I innings, bettering the record set by Aaron Finch (14).
The first-wicket partnership of 236 between Zazai and Ghani is also the highest in T20Is.
It was a carnage in Dehradun from the word go and among the Irish bowlers, only Boyd Rankin had respectable bowling figures of one for 35 in four overs.