Asif Ali played a gem of an innings to stun Afghanistan and power Pakistan virtually into the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in their Group II match in Dubai on Friday.
Coming into bat with Pakistan in a tough position, Asif plundered four sixes at a strike rate of 357 to score 25 runs off a mere seven balls to take Pakistan home by five wickets.
Pakistan chased down 148 with an over to spare to send their fans into delirium and ecstacy while leaving the Afghanistan players and supporters shell shocked.
PAKISTAN START WELL
Pakistan started their innings with some authority as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan decided to get going with things.
However, Rizwan did not last too long as he was sent packing by the in-form Mujeeb ur Rahman through a catch at square leg by Naveen-ul-Haq.
New man Fakhar Zaman showed aggressive intent right from the beginning with some fluent strokes smashing a four and a six off Mohammad Nabi in the fourth over.
Pakistan were playing percentage cricket and not trying anything outrageous considering the skill of the Afghan spinners and the context of the game.
Around the 10-over mark, Babar put the foot on the gas as he took on Afghanistan medium-pacer Karim Janat.
Pakistan were at a healthy 72/1 after 10 overs and well on track to chase down 148 with nine wickets in hand.
However, Pakistan lost their second wicket in the 12th over when Zaman was lbw to Nabi off the first ball as Afghanistan sensed an opening.
When Mohammad Hafeez was out to Rashid Khan trying to play a sweep, the match looked interestingly poised at 97/3.
However, despite losing the wickets of Babar and Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali was the man on a mission.
AFGHANISTAN STRUGGLE
Afghanistan were all in sorts of trouble inside the powerplay as they struggled to 39/4 in 5.1 overs. All the four Pakistani bowlers picked up a wicket apiece inside the five overs.
Hazratullah Zazai was snuffed out by Imad Wasim caught by Haris Rauf without opening his account in the second over. In the third over, Mohammad Shahzad was claimed by Shaheen Shah Afridi off a catch by Babar Azam.
Asghar Afghan was caught and bowled by Haris Rauf in the fifth over while Rahmanullah Gurbaz was taken out by Hasan Ali by a catch from Azam in the first ball after powerplay.
Karim Janat (15, 17b, 1x4, 1x6) and Najibullah Zadran (22, 21b, 3x4, 1x6) contributed stitched together a 25-run partnership after which Janat was out to Imad.
Zadran was scalped by Shadab Khan and the Afghans were in deep trouble at 76/6.
COUNTER-ATTACK
Afghanistan were eventually rescued after a timely unbeaten 71-run partnership between Mohammad Nabi (35, 32b, 5x4) and Gulbadin Naib (35, 25b, 4x4, 1x6).
Afghanistan wrapped up their innings at 147/6 in 20 overs.
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