T20 WC: West Indies demolish Afghanistan to extend unbeaten run
West Indies thrashed Afghanistan by 104 runs in the final league match of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. The Men in Maroon will hence head into the Super 8 unbeaten while Afghanistan suffered their maiden defeat. Meanwhile, WI posted 218/5 in the game thanks to a record-breaking 98 from Nicholas Pooran. Afghanistan were folded for 114 in response. Here are the key stats.
Pooran powers West Indies
Pooran arrived at number three after Brandon King's early departure. He joined forces with Johnson Charles (43) and the duo added 80 runs in no time. Pooran also recorded vital stands with Shai Hope (25) and Rovman Powell (26). His efforts powered WI to the highest score of the ongoing event (218/5). The dasher got run out in the last over.
Afghanistan falter in the run chase
Afghanistan were off to a terrible start as Rahmanullah Gurbaz departed for a duck. While Ibrahim Zadran made a fighting 38, a sudden collapse meant the team went from 45/1 to 63/5. They couldn't recover thereafter and were eventually bundled out for 114 in 16.2 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai (23) was the only other Afghanistan batter besides Ibrahim to score over 20.
2,000 T20I runs for Pooran
Pooran scored a career-best 98 off 53 balls as he hit six fours and eight sixes. En route, Pooran became the first West Indies batter to complete 2,000 T20I runs (now 2,011). He averages 26.81 as his strike rate is 135.97. Pooran's tally now includes 12 fifties as the 98* against Afghanistan is now his career-best score.
500 T20 sixes for Pooran
Pooran also overtook Chris Gayle (124) to become the WI batter with the most T20I sixes. The former now has 128 maximums. The southpaw also became the sixth batter to accomplish 500 T20 sixes (502). He joined Gayle (1,056), Kieron Pollard (860), Andre Russell (686), Colin Munro (548), and Rohit Sharma (514). Pooran hit the third-joint-most sixes in a T20 WC innings (8).
Highest powerplay total in T20 WCs
The game saw WI record the highest powerplay total in T20 WCs (92/1). They went past Ireland's 91/1 against the Netherlands in the 2014 edition. Overall, this is the fourth-highest powerplay total in T20I history and the second-highest for WI. In 2021, they posted 98/4 against Sri Lanka.
Highest T20 WC total for WI
The 218/5 against Afghanistan is now WI's highest total in the T20 WC. It is also the highest score of the ongoing event as Rovman Powell's men went past Australia's 201/7 against England and Sri Lanka's 201/6 against Netherlands. No other team owns a 200-plus score at the competition. Overall, this is the fifth-highest total in the competition's history.
Unwanted record for Azmatullah Omarzai
Pooran hit Azmatullah Omarzai for three sixes and two fours in the fifth over. As the pacer also conceded 10 extra runs, he bowled the joint-most expensive over in T20 WC history (36 runs). He joined Stuart Broad on this unwanted list as the latter was smashed for six successive sixes by Yuvraj Singh in the 2007 edition.
WI script these records
WI have now won eight T20Is on the trot, their longest winning streak in the format. For the first time, they won four successive matches in the T20 WC. The Caribbean team recorded its second-biggest T20I win in terms of runs (104). Earlier in the ongoing tournament, they demolished Uganada by 134 runs. Meanwhile, this was also Afghanistan's second-biggest defeat in terms of runs.
150 T20 scalps for McCoy
Obed McCoy, who claimed 3/14 in three overs, was the pick of the WI bowlers. Notably, this was McCoy's maiden outing in the ongoing tourney and against Afghanistan as well. The pacer is now just one shy of completing 50 T20I wickets. With this spell, McCoy also went past 150 T20 wickets (now 151) in 114 games (ER: 8.67).
Two wickets apiece for Hosein, Motie
Spin twins Akeal Hosein (2/21) and Gudakesh Motie (2/28) took two wickets apiece in their four-over spells. The former now has nine wickets in the ongoing tournament at a stellar economy of 4.13. Hosein (48) is two shy of the 50-wicket landmark in T20Is (ER: 7.40). Motie has seven wickets in the ongoing tourney (ER: 6.38). 20 of his scalps have come in T20Is.
1,000 T20I runs for Ibrahim
Ibrahim, who scored a 28-ball 38, become the eighth Afghanistan batter to complete 1,000 T20I runs. Playing his 40th match, Zadran has raced to 1,026 run, averaging 30.17. His strike rate is 109.49. He owns seven fifties with the best of 72*. He is featuring in his fourth match against West Indies and has got to his highest score.
Four on the bounce for WI
This game was a dead rubber as both WI and Afghanistan had already qualified for the Super 8 round. With this win, WI top Group C with four wins in as many games (NRR: +3.257). Afghanistan, who suffered their maiden defeat in the tournament, finished at the second place with three wins in four outings (NRR: +1.835).
