New Delhi: Afghanistan opening batter Sediqullah Atal shined with the bat in the second ODI match against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday. Put into bat first by the hosts, Afghan openers Atal and Abdul Malik smashed an a remarkable 191-run stand for the opening wicket which set the perfect base for the visitors in the game.
While Malik got dismissed after scoring 84 runs, Atal continued the hard work smashing a brilliant century in the important clash. This was his maiden ton in the 50-over format and it was welcomed with loud roar and cheer by the crowd present at the stadium and his teammates as well. However, the talented batter could not continue the run post the hundred and was dismissed for 104 runs off 128 deliveries.
Who is Sediqullah Atal?
Sediqullah Atal made his ODI debut recently last month in November during Afghanistan’s campaign in the three-match 50-over series against Bangladesh. The 23-year-old rising star of Afghanistan has done well across all the formats in domestic cricket till now and after a mediocre run in Bangladesh ODIs, he shined with the bat in the second ODI against Zimbabwe, showcasing his brilliance in the format.
Atal made his debut in T20Is last year in March against Pakistan and has had a fair run in the format scoring 72 runs at an average of 12 with a top score of 35 in six T20I matches played till now. The talented batter hogged the headlines in the Men’s Emerging Asia Cup in Oman recently, where he finished as the top-scorer in the tournament, smashing 368 runs at an average of 122.66, with a top-score of 95 run out.
He also hit scores of 83 and 55 not out in the semi-final and final against India and Sri Lanka respectively. In 2023, Atal showcased his batting prowess as he smashes 7 sixes in an over during a game in the Kabul Premier League. In 22 List A matches, Atal has notched up 642 runs at an average of 29.18 with six fifties to his name.
Afghanistan batter Sediqullah Atal shined with the bat in the Harare ODI against Zimbabwe on Thursday, smashing his maiden century in the 50-over format. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
