Nicholas Pooran scored 98 off 53 balls as West Indies made 218 for 5 to beat Afghanistan by 104 runs in the final group stage match of the T20 World Cup on Monday.
Both teams had already qualified for the Super Eight stage, but the West Indies finished unbeaten at the top of Group C.
Obed McCoy took 3-14 as Afghanistan were bowled out for 114 in 16.2 overs as the West Indies sent a message to future rivals in the play-off stage, when they face fellow hosts the United States in their first Super Eight match on Wednesday.
Pooran’s score was his highest individual score in the tournament and took his total runs in T20 international matches to over 2,000.
He hit eight sixes and six fours in an explosive innings to guide West Indies to their highest team total in the tournament.
“There were a lot of big moments but at the end of the day it’s all about the team’s success,” Pooran said. “Today I felt I have to take responsibility because it’s my day. If it’s my day, I have to make it my day.”
Pooran took advantage of perfect batting conditions at the Darren Sammy Stadium, hitting shots all over the ground and hitting some through and over the boundary lines to score 62 runs.
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Nicholas Pooran was dismissed for 98 runs in West Indies’ direct hit, falling just short of an incredible hundred.
Afghanistan had played on difficult, spinning pitches in their previous matches, where seamer Fazal Haq Farooqui and the spinners dominated. Afghanistan had bowled out Uganda for 58, New Zealand for 75 and Papua New Guinea for 95.
West Indies surpassed those highest scores in fewer than seven overs on Monday, equalling the T20I record for highest score in an over with 36 runs in Asmatullah Omarzai’s four overs.
After five overs the West Indies were 85-1 and after six powerplay overs they were 92-1, the highest powerplay score in the history of the T20 World Cup.
Pooran hit sixes off the second and third balls of the 20th over to reach 97 points, but just when it looked like he was set for a century, he was run out after returning for his second run off the fourth ball when it was hit straight at the striker’s end.
Farooqui, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, finished with 0-38, captain Rashid Khan 0-45 and Omarzai 1-41. Gulbuddin took 2-14 from his two overs and stood out as a ray of light in a gloomy mood for Afghanistan’s bowlers.
There was no respite for Afghanistan when they came to bat. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was run out off the third ball of the innings, a wicket no-den delivered by Akeel Hossain. After the powerplay, Afghanistan were 45 for 1 but after 10 overs, with McCoy breaking the top order, they had slumped to 66 for 5.
“Their batting was good, we got about 90 in the powerplay and it was tough to come back from there,” Rashid said. “It’s not a win-or-lose game and it’s good that we lost at this stage.”
What’s next for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup?
The Super 8 stage of the Men’s T20 World Cup begins on Wednesday. united states of america face South Africa In Antigua, Live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket Starting at 3pm (first ball at 3:30pm).
English The opening round of the Super 8 will be held in the co-host country West Indies On the same day in Saint Lucia Live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket It will begin early Thursday morning at 1am (first pitch at 1:30am).
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Nasser Hussain believes England have everything it takes to reach the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
England are in Group 2 of the eight-team second stage of the tournament, along with the West Indies, USA and South Africa.
Group 1 includes Afghanistan and India, as well as Australia and Bangladesh, who play on Thursday.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
You can watch every T20 World Cup match live on Sky Sports, including the final in Barbados on Saturday, June 29.
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