T20 World Cup: Nicholas Pooran sets up WI’s huge win over Afghanistan

Nicholas Pooran’s power-packed innings at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on Monday night ended dramatically: a direct hit from Azmatullah Omarzai caught Pooran short of his first T20 World Cup century by two runs, leaving him on all fours with the stumps in disarray. His partner, Andre Russell, expressed the collective disappointment of West Indies fans as Pooran fell after a sensational 53-ball knock. However, he had just laid the foundation for West Indies’ 104-run victory against Afghanistan in the final Group-C match, securing an unbeaten entry into the Super 8s.

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Chasing 219, Afghanistan’s hope dwindled rapidly after slipping from 45 for one to 63 for five within the first 10 overs. Obed McCoy’s three for 14, including three wickets in eight balls, and Akeal Hosein’s wicket maiden in the first over derailed the Afghan chase.

In elite club

Earlier, West Indies, after being asked to bat, systematically dismantled Afghanistan’s bowlers. Johnson Charles attacked left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai, exploiting the third man region with multiple boundaries. Rashid Khan’s decision to keep a deep backward point instead of a squarer third man allowed Charles to exploit that gap.

Pooran came in at three, and immediately capitalised on the lack of swing, racing to 27 off nine balls as Omarzai conceded 36 runs in his second over — the joint-most runs scored in an over in the T20 World Cup, after Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes against Stuart Broad in 2007. This forced Rashid into early action in the PowerPlay — not his forte — and he went for 12 as well.

By the end of the first six overs, Pooran and Charles had propelled West Indies to 92 for one, the highest PowerPlay score in men’s T20 World Cups. Naveen-ul-Haq ended the 38-ball, 80-run partnership by dismissing Charles for 43 off 27 balls. Pooran then slowed down as Noor Ahmad brought some control.

However, he accelerated again with skipper Rovman Powell, reaching his half-century off 31 balls and then hammered Rashid for 24 runs in the 18th over. Powell contributed significantly in the 38-ball 64-run stand before falling to a slower ball. But by then, the result was a foregone conclusion.

The scores:

West Indies 218/5 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 98, Johnson Charles 43, Rovman Powell 26, Shai Hope 25; Gulbadin Naib 2/14) bt Afghanistan 114 in 16.2 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 38, Azmatullah Omarzai 23; Obed McCoy 3/14, Akeal Hosein 2/21, Gudakesh Motie 2/28).

Toss: Afghanistan.

PoM: Pooran.