T20 World Cup 2021, AFG vs PAK - 4 records to watch out for
Match 24 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 is set to take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium between Pakistan and Afghanistan tonight (October 29).
After defeating giants like T20 World Cup 2021 India squad and New Zealand, the Men in Green will be full of confidence and will be looking to continue their winning streak. Meanwhile, the Afghans triumphed over Scotland by a whopping margin of 130 runs in their opening game and will be eager to defeat long-time rivals Pakistan tonight.
Both teams are off to flying starts at the #T20WorldCup
Who will come out on top today?
#PAKvAFG preview 👇
t20worldcup.com/news/2312572
Pakistan will take the field as favorites to win this match. With the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammed Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam, this game should be of moderate difficulty for them.
While Afghanistan haven't faced a strong team yet in the tournament, they do have Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad in their camp. All these players can help change games in a matter of overs.
As we head into this clash, let's take a look at some milestones certain players can cross tonight.
#1 Rashid Khan is one wicket away from becoming the fastest bowler to claim 100 T20I wickets
Rashid Khan is on the way to becoming a master leg spinner and it's incredible to see what a reputation he has created for himself at such a young age. The Afghan leggie has proven himself over and over in the IPL and across various competitive T20 leagues. Khan has an impressive record when it comes to T20 internationals as well, and currently has 99 wickets in just 52 appearances at an economy of 6.19.
After his four-wicket haul against Scotland in Afghanistan's previous game, Khan will be in high spirits and will look to claim his 100th T20I wicket tonight. If he does, he will also become the fastest bowler to claim 100 T20 international wickets.
If at all Rashid manages to take four or more wickets in this game, he’ll become the fourth bowler to take 400 wickets in T20s.
#2 Mohammad Shahzad needs 42 runs to become the first Afghanistan player to complete 2000 T20I runs
Mohammad Shahzad has been the diablocal hitter Afghanistan have needed to get them off to a big start over the years. We all know that if he gets going, there's no stopping him irrespective of the bowler or the format.
The right-hander has scored 1,958 runs in the 66 matches that he has played at an average of over 31. Shahzad is now just 42 runs short of reaching the 2,000-run mark in T20Is. If he gets to this feat today, he will become the first Afghan player to do so.
#3 Mohammad Hafeez is 60 runs short of becoming the first Pakistani to complete 2,500 T20I runs
With age comes experience and Mohammad Hafeez brings just that to the table for Pakistan. The former skipper has been a great performer with the bat and in the 115 T20Is that he has played, Hafeez has scored 2,440 runs at an average of above 26.
The all-rounder is just 60 runs short of the 2,500-run club in T20 internationals. He could become the first Pakistani and fifth overall player to achieve the feat in the match against Afghanistan.
All the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 teams are listed here, click to view.
#4 Shoaib Malik needs six fours to complete 200 boundaries in T20Is
Shoaib Malik helped the Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup get over the line in their previous clash against New Zealand, proving that he has still not lost his touch. The elegance and the experience with which he plays proves Malik has been a true asset for his country.
2007 ⏩ 2021
@realshoaibmalik was there when all the fuss began in 2007.
The #Pakistan all-rounder is part of an exclusive club at the #T20WorldCup
t20worldcup.com/video/2312882
The right-hander has 2,361 in 118 T20Is at an average of over 31. Malik has also hit 62 maximums and 194 boundaries. He now simply needs six fours to reach the milestone of 200 boundaries in T20 internationals and given the form he is in, it wouldn't be surprising if he gets to the landmark tonight.