T20 World Cup 2021, India vs Afghanistan: 5 interesting stat facts from the match

After two consecutive heartbreaks in their 2021 T20 World Cup campaign, India returned strong against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi to open their account and stay alive in the tournament.

The 66-run win gave India a much-needed two points and ensured their net run rate climbed to positive.

After barely scoring at an average run rate of 6.5 in the matches against Pakistan and New Zealand, India piled up 210 against Afghanistan, which is now the highest total in the ongoing tournament.

Let’s look at five interesting stat facts from the India-Afghanistan match.

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#1 India skipper Virat Kohli chases Carlos Brathwaite’s record

Taking a minimum of 30 T20Is into account, Virat Kohli is only next to former West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite’s toss losses. The Indian captain lost his 30th toss in T20Is on Wednesday. His toss win percentage now stands at 37.5% and is just higher than Carlos Brathwaite’s 36.67%.

Another two toss losses and Virat Kohli will top the list for the lowest percentage of toss wins.

Since 2020, Virat Kohli has lost the toss in 31 of the 41 matches he captained in representative cricket.

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#2 Rohit Sharma-KL Rahul’s record-breaking spree

The 140-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul is the highest Indian stand for any wicket in T20 World Cups for India. There have only been four century stands for India in T20 World Cups.

Earlier, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir’s 136-run stand against England in the inaugural edition in 2007 was India’s highest.

It is also the fourth-highest century stand in the tournament history. Two of the top four have come in this edition, and both of them involve India. At the top spot remains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s unbeaten 152-run stand that they registered against India earlier in the tournament.

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have now been involved in four century stands in T20Is. While Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are tied at the top spot with five century stands, Rohit Sharma-KL Rahul are tied next alongside the pairs of Rohit Sharma-Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson-Martin Guptill.

Rohit Sharma is now involved in 12 of India’s 23 century stands in T20Is.

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#3 Rishabh Pant-Hardik Pandya repeat Yuvraj Singh-MS Dhoni feat

Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya added an unbeaten stand of 63 off just 21 balls to finish the Indian innings. Their partnership run rate of 18 is now their second-best in terms of run rates for 50-plus stands.

The only 50-plus stand by India to have a better run rate was between Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni against England in Durban in the first T20 World Cup in 2007. The match, best-remembered for Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over, saw a partnership run rate of 19.3 between the southpaw and MS Dhoni as they slammed 61 runs off 19 balls.

India scored 70 runs off their last four overs in that game. Against the Afghans, they achieved their second-best feat of 65 runs in the last four overs.

India’s total of 210 against Afghanistan is also their second-highest total in a T20 World Cup, behind the 218 they managed against England in the 2007 edition.

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#4 Mohammed Shami’s best T20I bowling figures

It’s strange that in a T20I career spanning seven-and-a-half years, Mohammed Shami has played only 15 T20Is, out of which three have come in this tournament. After two wicket-less games, the 31-year-old came good against the Afghans despite a 21-run third over and claimed figures of 4-0-32-3 – his best in T20Is.

His previous best was 4-0-38-3 against England in Birmingham in 2014.

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#5 Rohit Sharma is now tied for 3rd on the most Player of the Match awards list in T20Is

Rohit Sharma’s 47-ball 74 is his seventh 50-plus score in T20 World Cups. Mahela Jayawardene has seven, Chris Gayle nine and Virat Kohli 10.

Rohit Sharma won his 11th Player of the Match – joint third-most with Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez. Only Virat Kohli and Mohammad Nabi have more Player of the Match awards.

Coincidentally, three players from this list were in action on Wednesday.