Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Ikram Ali Khil broke India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the highest score by an 18-year-old or less at an ICC World Cup. Ikram achieved the feat playing against the West Indies in Afghanistan’s last World Cup game which the latter lost by 23 runs at Headingley, Leeds on Thursday.
Ikram’s 86 off 92 deliveries against the West Indies saw him move ahead of Tendulkar’s best of 84 which came 27 years ago. Tendulkar achieved the feat playing against New Zealand in 1992 World Cup when he was 18 years and 323 days old, whereas Ikram reached the milestone in 18 years and 278 days.
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“I’m very proud to have broken the record of a legend like Tendulkar. It makes me very happy,” Ikram was quoted as saying by the ICC.
But rather than Tendulkar, it is former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara who is Ikram’s idol and the latter tries to “copy him”.
“Kumar Sangakkara is always in mind and my thoughts when I am batting out there,” he said adding, “His ability to rotate strike and find a boundary when needed, that is what made him a world class batsman. That is what I try to copy as much as I can.”
Chasing 312, Afghanistan came out with a spirited batting performance but at the end, failed 24 runs short of the target.
With this match, Afghanistan ended their 2019 World Cup campaign without winning a single match out of the ten matches played in the tournament. But they will be happy with the intent they showed, especially in their matches against India and Pakistan. It is the matches that Afghanistan lost and it is the experience they will be taking home.
