Gurbaz, Asghar give Afghanistan lead in T20I series

An entertaining 87 from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and another half-century from skipper Asghar Afghan ensured Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe comfortably by 48 runs in the first T20I of Abu Dhabi Sunshine T20I Series at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwean skipper Sean Williams won the toss and opted to bat first. Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the tone for Afghanistan with a blistering knock of 87 off just 45 deliveries as he successfully took on the Zimbabwean bowlers hitting some gorgeous strokes in the process. Meanwhile skipper Asghar Afghan complimented him tremendously with a quick-fire 55 off just 38 deliveries. The home side set a challenging target of 199 for the visitors eventually.

In response, an all-round bowling performance from Afghanistan meant Zimbabwe could only manage 150/7 thereby losing the contest by 48 runs as Afghanistan took a lead of 1-0 in the series. Tinashe Kamunhukamwe was the top-scorer for his team with a knock of 44 while Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza contributed with 22 each- albeit not enough to hand them a victory.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was adjudged Player of the match for his blistering third half-century in the format. The second match of the Abu Dhabi Sunshine T20 Series will be played on Friday, 19^th March 2021 at the same venue.