Azmatullah Omarzai Scores 44-Ball-100; Records Second-Fastest T20I Century For Afghanistan

Mayank

Azmatullah Omarzai scored a 44-ball-100 vs Zimbabwe [Source: ACB Media/X]

Azmatullah Omarzai was at his devastating best on Thursday night, as Afghanistan faced Zimbabwe in the second T20I of the three-match series. After winning the series opener, the Asians had a chance to seal the series with one game to go, and the all-rounder did not disappoint.

Afghanistan found themselves in trouble again while batting first, but thanks to Omarzai's blistering century, they recovered brilliantly and put Zimbabwe on the back foot.

Azmatullah Omarzai's century rescues Afghanistan

Afghanistan were asked to bat first by Sikandar Raza upon winning the toss and were reduced to 5/4 in 3.2 overs and 38/5 in 8.1 overs. After walking in to bat in the 4th over of the match, Azmatullah Omarzai went all guns blazing and took Zimbabwe by storm.

The all-rounder used all his franchise cricket experience and got to his maiden T20I century in just 44 balls, before being dismissed at 116 off 50 after 5 fours and 12 towering sixes. This is the second-fastest century by an Afghanistan batter in T20I cricket, as Omarzai missed the record by 2 balls.

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Fastest T20I centuries for Afghanistan

42 - Hazratullah Zazai vs Ireland, Dehradun, 2019
44 - Azmatullah Omarzai vs Zimbabwe, Sharjah, 2026, Tonight*
50 - Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs UAE, Sharjah, 2023
52 - Mohammad Shahzad vs Zimbabwe, Sharjah, 2016

Afghanistan recovers from consecutive collapses

The ongoing three-match T20I series has been topsy-turvy for the Afghanistan batters. For the second time in the row in this series, the top order failed to perform and put the middle order under pressure.

During the first T20I at the same venue, Zimbabwe were all over them, reducing them to 45/4 and 66/5, before Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai burst onto the scene to score 52 off 22 and guided them to 177 and they won by 37 runs. Once again, three of the top-5 batters got out for a duck, while Ibrahim Zadran scored 1(9), followed by Sediqullah Atal's 17(21).

Courtesy of Omarzai's 116 (50) and Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai's second fifty in a row, finishing with 52 (27) to combine for a whooping 142(59), they ended at 221/7. Rashid Khan also contributed with a quick-fire 25*(6) with four sixes to put the team ahead in the match.