Afghanistan Starts Strong in T20 World Cup

Afghanistan commenced their T20 World Cup campaign with a dominant 125-run victory over Uganda in Guyana. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 76 from 45 balls and Ibrahim Zadran contributed 70 off 46 in an impressive opening partnership of 154, helping Afghanistan set a total of 183-5. In response, tournament newcomers Uganda were bowled out for just 58 in 16 overs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi achieved remarkable bowling figures of 5-9, the fourth-best in a men’s T20 World Cup while captain Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq each took two wickets. Notably, only two Ugandan batters reached double figures with Robinson Obuya being the top scorer with 14. Extras with seven wides and two leg-byes, finished as the third top-scorer with nine runs.

Bruising World Cup Debut for Uganda

Consequently, Uganda faced a challenging introduction to the T20 World Cup, with their 125-run loss marking the third-largest margin of defeat in the tournament’s history. Gurbaz and Zadran’s impressive opening stand, the second-highest in men’s T20 World Cup history, set the tone. This performance follows only Jos Buttler and Alex Hales’ 170-run partnership for England against India in the 2022 semi-final in Adelaide.

Despite a strong finish by Uganda, taking five wickets for 31 runs in the last six overs with captain Brian Masaba and fast bowler Cosmas Kyewuta claiming two wickets each, their innings never recovered after losing Ronak Patel and Roger Mukasa to Farooqi in the first over. Although Obuya and Ali Shah, who scored 11 from 34 balls, showed some resistance, it was insufficient to change the outcome.

Upcoming Matches

Looking ahead, later on Tuesday, England and Scotland will start their campaigns against each other in Bridgetown (15:30 BST), while the Netherlands will play against Nepal in Grand Prairie, Texas at 16:30.

Reactions

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan expressed satisfaction, stating, “It was the kind of start we wanted as a team. It does not matter who we play, it is about the mindset. The hard work we have done in the last few weeks, the way the openers started and the way our bowlers bowled – it was a great overall team effort.”

On the other hand, Uganda captain Brian Masaba reflected on the experience, saying, “A pretty special moment for us, hearing our national anthem and seeing our flag at the World Cup. Something I will cherish for the rest of my life. First game at the World Cup, lots of nerves. Good to get that out of the way. We will look to come out and play better next game.”