MS Dhoni, Babar Azam Surpassed By Afghanistan Star Rahmanullah Gurbaz For Historic Feats In Match vs Pakistan

25.08.2023 - 18:19 sports.ndtv.com

Afghanistan's swashbuckling opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been known to be a power-hitter. He has shown that in quite a few IPL matches for Kolkata Knight Riders.

He gave yet another example of his hitting prowess in the second ODI against Pakistan in Hambantota on Thursday. The 21-year-old Gurbaz hit run-a-ball 151 with the help of 14 fours and three sixes to guide his team to 300.

He shared an opening stand of 227 with Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a 101-ball 80, after Afghanistan won the toss and batted. Afghanistan need a win to level the three-match series after losing the first match by 142 runs, and Gurbaz's knock came at the right time.

Gurbaz's previous best was 145 against Bangladesh in Chattogram last month. As he went over 150, Gurbaz became the first wicketkeeper-batter to cross the 150-mark against Pakistan.

cricket India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team MS Dhoni Virat Kohli Babar Azam Quinton De-Kock Ibrahim Zadran South Africa India Afghanistan Bangladesh Pakistan

Pakistan cricket team climbed of the top of ODI rankings after winning their three-match series against Afghanistan 3-0. The victory came at a brilliant time for the side as they geared up for the Asia Cup 2023 where they will face long-time rivals India. Following Pakistan's win over Afghanistan in the third T20I encounter, Babar gave a speech to the team about unity and taking responsibility. In a video posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), Babar could be seen motivating his teammates and he told them that the success for the side came because of all of their hard work and the fact that their hearts were pure.

Watch: Pakistan Cricket Team's Jersey For Asia Cup 2023, ODI World Cup Unveiled

Pakistan cricket team revealed its new jersey ahead of the Asia Cup and World Cup 2023. The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) official social media handle took to Instagram to share a video of the new attire. The end of the video has Pakistan men's cricket team skipper Babar Azam in the new jersey alongside other teammates Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah. Pakistan women's cricket team players Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz could also be seen standing with them, donning the new jersery.

"When They Face India...": Ex-Pakistan Star's Asia Cup Warning For Babar Azam And Co

Pakistan geared up for Asia Cup 2023 with a 3-0 series win over Afghanistan but there were some issues with their batting. During the third ODI match, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam guided Pakistan to 268 but they lost wickets at regular intervals and that did not allow them to reach the 300-run mark. Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal seemed concerned with the performance and said that the Babar-led side may struggle against big teams like India. In a recent interaction, he said that the Pakistan batters need to play positive cricket and take more responsibility against tough opponents.

"Reminds Me Very Much Of Virat Kohli": Ex-Australia Star's Interesting Take On Babar Azam

The comparison between Indian cricket team star Virat Kohli and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is quite common both among fans and experts. With the traditional rivals facing each other in Asia Cup 2023 in early September, the debates have become quite intense recently. However, former Australia cricketer Tom Moody had a completely different take on the debate and he came up with similarities between the two batters. During a recent interaction, Moody said that Babar actually reminds him a lot of Kohli considering how both players rely on proper cricket shots and have a deep understanding of the game.

"When You Achieve No. 1 Position...": Babar Azam Reacts As Pakistan Top ICC ODI Rankings

After leading his team to an ODI series sweep over Afghanistan on Saturday, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said he was hopeful of his team producing 'good' cricket in the upcoming Asia Cup. Pakistan posted a facile 59-run win over their western neighbours at the R Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka on Saturday, completing a whitewash of the three-match series. Speaking to media persons after leading his team to the top of the ODI rankings, the Pakistan skipper weighed in on the current dressing room ambience saying that the momentum that they gained during the series whitewash against Afghanistan will stand them in good stead going into the Asia Cup.

"Always Has Been A...": Babar Azam's Straight Take On India-Pakistan Clash In Asia Cup 2023

The Asia Cup 2023 is just round the corner and cricket fans around the world are waiting for the high-profile match between India and Pakistan. The two sides stopped playing bilateral series since 2012-13 and it is only at continental and international tournaments where the supporters can see these two sides face each other. Pakistan cricket team skipper Babar Azam opened up about the highly-anticipated match and how the two teams gear up for such a match. "The India-Pakistan match has always been a rivalry. The entire world experiences the match and enjoys it. Even we enjoy it a lot. I feel that the level of cricket is very good and competitive. Fans miss the India-Pakistan match and both teams always give their 100 percent," Babar said on Star Sports.