Fazalhaq Farooqi's fifer leads Afghanistan to dominant win over Uganda

An exceptional opening partnership and a stunning five-wicket haul by Fazalhaq Farooqi propelled Afghanistan to a commanding 125-run victory over Uganda in Guyana. Farooqi set the tone early, dismissing Ronak Patel (4) and Roger Mukasa (0) with consecutive deliveries. Although he narrowly missed a hat-trick, with Riazat Ali Shah surviving by the slimmest margin, Afghanistan quickly claimed their third wicket when Mujeeb Ur Rahman sent Simon Ssezai (4) back to the pavilion.

Naveen-ul-Haq, the third bowler introduced into the attack, struck twice in his first over, reducing Uganda to a precarious 18/5. A brief partnership between Riazat Ali and Robinson Obuya offered some resistance, but Farooqi returned to dismantle Uganda's innings further. He finished with remarkable figures of 5/9, with captain Rashid Khan sealing the victory. Farooqi's electrifying performance earned him the Player of the Match award, with his figures being the fourth-best in Men's T20 World Cup history.

Earlier, Uganda's captain Brian Masaba won the toss and opted to bowl, hoping to restrict Afghanistan to a manageable total. Afghanistan's openers capitalized on favorable batting conditions, racing off to a strong start. Rahmanullah Gurbaz led initially, and Ibrahim Zadran soon joined the onslaught, smashing four consecutive fours in the sixth over. Afghanistan ended the powerplay at an impressive rate of 11 runs per over.

Gurbaz and Zadran continued their assault, making it difficult for Uganda's bowlers to contain them. Gurbaz reached his maiden T20 World Cup fifty in the ninth over, having hit four sixes and two fours. By the 10th over, Afghanistan had surpassed 100 runs. A chaotic 25-run over from Bilal Shah, marred by five no balls and five wides, saw Afghanistan accelerate past 150.

Uganda finally broke through when Masaba bowled Zadran with a delivery that stayed low. Veteran bowler Alpesh Ramjani and Masaba then claimed two more wickets, slowing Afghanistan's momentum. Despite Uganda's efforts in the final overs, conceding only 22 runs for three wickets, Afghanistan had already set a formidable target that proved too challenging for Uganda to chase.