Muhammad Waseem's blazing T20I half-century against Afghanistan goes in vain
What's the story
UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem's blazing T20I half-century against Afghanistan went in vain at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Waseem was the lone warrior in UAE's run-chase of 189 in the T20I Tri-Series encounter. Although Rahul Chopra also had a late flourish, he couldn't make up for the lower-order collapse. The duo contributed 119 runs to UAE's total of 150/8. The hosts fell 38 runs short.
Chase
How UAE's chase panned out
Despite a positive start, UAE lost Muhammad Zohaib early on. However, Waseem single-handedly took on the Afghanistan bowling attack, adding 61 runs with Ethan DSouza. With Waseem's exploits, UAE touched the 90-run mark in the 10th over. However, he fell to Sharafuddin Ashraf. Ashraf and Rashid Khan brought UAE down to 112/7 thereafter. Although Rahul Chopra scored 52*, they fell short.
Half-century
Waseem slams his 23rd T20I fifty
As mentioned, Waseem was UAE's only fighter in the first half. He slammed a blistering 67 off 37 balls, a knock laced with 4 fours and 6 sixes. In 80 T20Is, the UAE skipper has raced to 2,859 runs at a strike rate of 156.31 (Average: 38.12). His tally includes 3 tons and 23 half-centuries. No other UAE batter has even 1,300 T20I runs.
Feat
Notable feat for Waseem
During his stay, Waseem unlocked a massive achievement in T20I cricket. He now has the second-most sixes in the format (176), going past New Zealand's Martin Guptill (173). Waseem is only behind former Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who bid adieu to the format with a record 205 sixes. As of now, England's Jos Buttler is the only other player with 150-plus T20I sixes.
Information
How Rahul completed his half-century
Like Waseem, Rahul could control the game from one end in the second half. He smacked 2 fours and a six in the final over to complete his half-century, his fourth in the format. Rahul, who scored a 35-ball 52*, raced to 593 T20I runs.