Fazalhaq Farooqi's back-breaking fifer rocks Uganda for 58 as Afghanistan clinch colossal win to kick off T20 World Cup campaign in style

Fazalhaq Forooqi ran riot with the ball to decimate Uganda and help Afghanistan record a 125-run win in their T20 World Cup 2024's opener at Providence Stadium, Guyana on June 4. Fazalhaq Farooqi spearheaded the bowling attack with a career-best performance, picking up 5 wickets for just 9 runs which diminished Uganda to 58 runs. 

Fazalhaq Forooqi breaks Uganda's back

Uganda's chase of 184 was effectively over before they even got started. Fazalhaq Farooqi ripped through their batting lineup, taking two wickets in the very first over, narrowly missing out on a hat-trick. Naveen-ul-Haq piled on the misery with two more wickets in the fifth over, leaving Uganda reeling at a paltry 5-21 after just six overs. Only two Ugandan batsmen managed to reach double digits – Riazat Ali Shah (11) and Robinson Obuya (14).  The rest of the batting order crumbled, with four players dismissed for ducks, including three first-ball ducks. Farooqi even came close to a hat-trick in the 13th over, solidifying his dominance.

His impressive performance – the fourth-best bowling figures in men's T20 World Cup history – effectively sealed the deal for Afghanistan. Star leg-spinner Rashid Khan added the finishing touches with two quick wickets, bowling out Uganda for a mere 58 runs in 16 overs.

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Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran's record partnership powers Afghanistan to big total

Earlier, Afghanistan's batting dominated the first innings of their T20 World Cup match against Uganda at Providence Stadium. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran stitched together a remarkable 154-run partnership, the second-highest opening stand in the men's T20 World Cup history.

Taking advantage of the good batting conditions, Gurbaz and Zadran tore into the Ugandan bowling attack. Gurbaz led the charge initially, while Zadran soon joined the party, smashing four consecutive boundaries in the sixth over. This aggressive batting propelled Afghanistan to a score of 75-0 at the end of the Powerplay, a new record for Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup.

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The onslaught of boundaries continued as both batsmen looked unstoppable. Gurbaz reached his first-ever T20 World Cup fifty in the ninth over, peppering the bowling with sixes and fours. Afghanistan crossed the 100-run mark in the 10th over and looked set for a massive total. A chaotic over from Bilal Shah, with five no-balls and five wides, further inflated the score, pushing them past 150.

However, the tide turned in the 15th over when Ugandan captain Brian Masaba claimed the crucial wicket of Zadran. Gurbaz followed soon after, dismissed by Alpesh Ramjani. Despite a brief fightback from Najibullah Zadran and Gulbadin Naib, Afghanistan lost wickets in quick succession, managing only 27 runs in the last five overs. Cosmas Kyewuta and Brian Masaba picked up two wickets each for Uganda, restricting Afghanistan to a total of 183/5.

Afghanistan will next face New Zealand on June 8 and then Papua New Guinea on June 14. 

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