(UTV|COLOMBO) – Afghanistan set a Twenty20 international record total as they notched 278-3 in hammering Ireland by 84 runs to clinch the series in India.
The Afghan innings exceeded the previous record of 263-3 set by Australia against Sri Lanka in 2016.
Hazratullah Zazai finished on 162 not out – only five runs shot of the T20 international record set by Australia’s Aaron Finch against Zimbabwe last year.
Zazai helped the Afghans produce an overall T20 record stand of 236.
That was seven more than the 229 stand produced by AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016.
The previous best international stand was the 223 produced by Finch and D’Arcy Short in Australia’s contest with Zimbabwe last July.
Zazai’s 62-ball knock in Dehradun included an international T20 record of 16 sixes as his century came off only 42 balls.
Four of Zazai’s sixes came off Kevin O’Brien in the 17th over as his opening partner Usman Ghani contributed 73.
All the Irish bowlers came in for punishment with skipper Paul Stirling going for 24 in his only over.
Facing a virtually impossible task to prevent Afghanistan taking a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match series, Stirling and Kevin O’Brien put on 126 runs for the first wicket without ever getting near the opposition’s astonishing run rate.
O’Brien’s departure for 37 in the 12th over hastened an Irish collapse as Stirling was dismissed for 91, after Andrew Balbirnie’s brief knock, to leave them on 134-3.
Spin talent Rashid Khan again did most of the bowling damage for the Afghans as he followed his dismissal of Balbirnie by also sending Lorcan Tucker, Shane Getkate and George Dockrell back to the pavilion.
Simi Singh and Stuart Poynter produced a late 29-run partnership before Ireland’s day mercifully ended.
Sunday’s final match in T20 series is now a dead rubber before the five-match one-day international series between the countries starts on Thursday.
Following the one-day series, the sides will then play a Test match at the same Dehradun venue starting on 15 March.