Afghanistan thrash debutants Uganda at T20 World Cup

Afghanistan displayed a dominant performance in both bowling and batting, resulting in a comprehensive victory over debutants Uganda by a margin of 125 runs in the T20 World Cup in Guyana on Monday.

The opening duo of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran set the stage for the win with a remarkable partnership of 154 runs, contributing to Afghanistan's total of 183-5.

Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi was exceptional with the ball, taking five wickets for a mere nine runs as Uganda's innings crumbled, ending at a meager 58 runs in 16 overs.

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, stating, "We had the ideal start we were hoping for as a team. It doesn't matter who our opponents are; it's all about the mindset. The hard work we put in over the past few weeks, the impressive start by our openers, and the exceptional bowling by our bowlers - it was a fantastic collective effort by the entire team."

Initially, Afghanistan seemed poised to achieve a massive total, thanks to Gurbaz's impressive knock of 76 runs off 45 balls, which included four fours and four sixes. Zadran also showcased his aggressive batting style, scoring a quickfire 70 runs off 46 deliveries, comprising of nine fours and a six.

The opening partnership between Gurbaz and Zadran became the second-highest in the history of men's T20 World Cup, only surpassed by England's Jos Buttler and Alex Hales' 170-run partnership in 2022.

However, Uganda managed to make a comeback after the dismissals of Gurbaz and Zadran in quick succession. Masaba made history for Uganda by taking their first-ever World Cup wicket, dismissing Zadran in the 15th over, reducing Afghanistan's score to 154-1. Alpesh Ramjani then removed Gurbaz, who was caught by Riazat Ali Shah at deep square leg for 76. Masaba claimed his second wicket by dismissing Najibullah Zadran, caught by Dinesh Nakrani at deep square leg. Cosmas Kyewuta took the remaining two wickets.

Despite Uganda's brief fightback with the ball, Fazalhaq extinguished any hopes of a comeback in their innings by taking two wickets in the first over. After Uganda opener Ronak Patel hit a boundary off Fazalha.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman then dismissed Simon Ssesazi, caught by Fazalhaq off a top edge for four, resulting in Uganda falling to 8-3.

The downfall continued, with Uganda reaching 18-5 by the fifth over.

Fazalhaq claimed the wickets of Masaba and Robinson Obuya, both caught behind, to secure his five-wicket haul. Skipper Khan then wrapped up the tail by dismissing Bilal Hassan lbw and bowling Hendry Ssenyondo.

Despite the heavy defeat, Uganda skipper Masaba found positives in his team's T20 World Cup debut.

"It was a special moment for us, hearing our national anthem and seeing our flag at the World Cup," Masaba expressed.

"It's something I will always cherish.

"The nerves were high in our first World Cup game, but it's good to have that experience behind us. We aim to perform better in the next match."