T20 World Cup 2021 | Everyone knows Rashid and Mujeeb are among world’s best, says Nabi after duo rattles Scotland
Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman bagged nine wickets between them to hand Scotland a 130-run defeat
|Mohammad Nabi acknowledged the brilliance of spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan, after the duo picked nine wickets between them to skittle Scotland for a paltry 60 in 10.2 overs in Sharjah on Monday. Afghanistan began their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign with a dominant 130-run win.
Chasing a victory target of 191, Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer and George Munsey showed promise at the start, adding 27 in the first three overs. However, the heroics didn’t last long, as Mujeeb Ur Rahman removed Coetzer, Calum MacLeod and Richie Berrington within a space of five balls soon after to dent the chase significantly.
The carnage continued with Rashid Khan too stepping in later, as Scotland were eventually bundled out for 60, giving Afghanistan a comprehensive 130-run win which bolstered their Net Run Rate (NRR) to a staggering +6.500.
Earlier, Najibullah Zadran (59 off 34), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (46) and Hazratullah Zazai (44) powered Afghanistan to a first-innings score of 190/4, after Mohammad Nabi opted to bat.
The skipper was thrilled with the overall effort.
“This was our plan, to bat first and put up a big score,” said Nabi after the win. “The way our openers started really well, finished the powerplay with a good score and then Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran rotated the strike really well.
“Everyone knows Rashid and Mujeeb are among the best in the world. It's a really nice team and hopefully we'll keep winning. It was Mujeeb's first game in the T20 World Cup and he got the Man of the Match, it's fantastic.”
Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who returned 5/20 on his T20 World Cup debut, acknowledged the support of the fans after a match-winning performance.
“Congratulations to our nation and it's my first Player of the Match in a World Cup,” said Mujeeb as he received his Player of the Match award. “The people supporting us here gave me a lot of positive energy. Fans have been supporting us and that's one reason we've played well.”
