Asif Khan. (Photo Source: UAE Cricket Official/Twitter)
Batting at number seven, United Arab Emirates batter made history by smashing the fastest century by an associate nation player in ODI cricket. In the match against Nepal in Kirtipur, UAE had a brilliant start as skipper Muhammad Waseem hit 63 off 49 deliveries. Stumper-batter Vriitya Aravind was sensational as well, scoring 94 off 138 deliveries but it was Asif, who absolutely stole the show.
The 33-year-old started in a remarkable fashion but towards the latter half of his innings, the Lahore-born cricketer wreaked havoc, scoring massively in the last five overs. Overall, the cricketer hit 101* runs off 42 deliveries and with that, he achieved this unique record in ODI cricket history.
During his time at the crease, Asif didn’t let any of the bowlers dominate as the Nepalese looked clueless in the middle. Skipper Rohit Paudel eventually used a lot of his options but no one was able to stop Asif’s carnage. Notably, experienced spinner Sandeep Lamichhane went on to concede 80 in his ten overs and was one of the most expensive bowlers for Nepal.
Meanwhile, courtesy of a brilliant batting display, UAE posted 310 runs on board after 50 overs. Now, even though Nepal are in terrific form at the moment, winning all of their last five matches, it is going to be a very difficult task for the side to chase the total down. They got the firepower in the ranks but UAE have got decent bowlers as well, who all can keep Nepal under pressure.
Notably, a win can help UAE improve their position in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2. They are currently sixth on the points table with 33 points from 35 games while the Rohit Paudel-led side is fourth on the points table with 38 points from 35 games. Meanwhile, Scotland are currently at the top of the charts with 50 points from 36 games while Oman and Namibia are second and third, respectively on the table.
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