Media365
Former world number one all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai set a new record for Afghanistan’s fastest T20I fifty during the Asia Cup opener at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Tuesday. Labelled as favourites for the tournament opener, Afghanistan chose to bat first but struggled at 110/4 with five overs remaining due to Hong Kong’s effective bowling performance. Omarzai’s arrival at the crease transformed the game’s momentum.He displayed impressive boundary-hitting skills, surprising the Hong Kong team with consecutive big shots. His maiden T20I fifty came in just 20 deliveries, surpassing Mohammad Nabi’s previous record of 21 balls against Ireland in 2017.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In the 19th over, Omarzai dominated Ayush Shukla’s bowling. He hit a six over the sightscreen, followed by a shot over deep extra cover. He then sent the third delivery to the mid-wicket boundary.He cleverly guided a full toss to third man for his fifty on the fourth ball. His innings ended at 53 runs from 21 balls when he hit the ball high, caught by Aizaz Khan.Omarzai’s impact helped Afghanistan score 78 runs in the final five overs, reaching a total of 188/6. Hong Kong’s fielding performance was poor, with five dropped catches, setting a record for most drops in a T20 Asia Cup innings.Opener Sediqullah Atal remained not out with 73 runs from 52 balls, surviving three dropped catches, including one in the first over. The fielding errors and inconsistent bowling in the final overs allowed Afghanistan to build a competitive score.
