Fazalhaq Farooqi showcased his brilliance with the ball for Afghanistan in their 2024 T20 World Cup encounter against India at Barbados on Thursday, June 20. The left-arm pacer made an early impact by dismissing India’s captain Rohit Sharma, followed by the crucial wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, concluding with impressive figures of 3/33 in his four overs.
Farooqi has been in stellar form throughout the ICC event, claiming 15 wickets in just five matches. His exceptional performance included a standout 4/17 against New Zealand during the group stage, contributing significantly to Afghanistan’s 84-run triumph.
The 23-year-old is on the brink of making history, needing only two more wickets to surpass Sri Lanka’s captain Wanindu Hasaranga’s record of 16 wickets in a single T20 World Cup edition set in 2021.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) couldn’t contain their excitement over Farooqi’s performance against India. One enthusiastic fan exclaimed:
“Fazalhaq Farooqi you beauty!!!! What a spell!!”
Another fan highlighted the challenging conditions and praised Farooqi’s skill:
“Not much help today even with the new ball. Just some very faint movement and he was bowling against the direction of the wind too to the right-handers. And yet Farooqi’s delivered. Another terrific spell from him!”
Acknowledging Farooqi’s crucial role in the team, another user noted:
“Farooqi is as important for Afghanistan as Noor/Nabi/Rashid.”
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi Help Afghanistan Restrict India to 181/8 in 2024 T20 World Cup Clash
A masterful bowling performance from Fazalhaq Farooqi and captain Rashid Khan limited India to 181/8 in their Super-Eight match. Rashid Khan also shone with the ball, ending with figures of 3/26, while Naveen-ul-Haq added a wicket to the tally.
After opting to bat first, India posted a total of 181/8 in their 20 overs. Suryakumar Yadav led the batting with a brisk 53 off 28 balls, featuring three sixes and five boundaries. Hardik Pandya contributed a valuable 32 off 24 deliveries, including two sixes and three boundaries, forming a crucial 60-run partnership with Yadav to lift India from 90/4. Contributions from Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, who scored 24 and 20 runs respectively, further bolstered the innings.
India aims to continue their winning streak in the 2024 T20 World Cup, having secured three victories in the group stages, with their last match against Canada being abandoned due to rain.
Afghanistan also boasts three wins from the group stage but suffered a heavy defeat to co-hosts West Indies by 104 runs in their previous game. Despite their efforts, Afghanistan has yet to secure a T20I win against India, losing seven out of eight matches with one no-result.
Will Farooqi’s sensational form help Afghanistan break their winless streak against India? Stay tuned to find out!
