CWC 2023: Abdullah Shafique celebrates his maiden ODI ton in a similar manner as Shubman Gill

Pakistan locked horns with Sri Lanka in Match 08 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Tuesday, October 10 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. The Babar Azam-led side were set a massive target of 345 by Sri Lanka to win the fixture. Pakistan were reeling at 37/2 after 7.2 overs when Abdullah Shafique got joined by Mohammad Rizwan in the middle and went on to score a magnificent hundred. 

The 23-year-old celebrated his maiden ODI hundred in emphatic fashion as he bowed down towards the dressing room much like the star India batter Shubamn Gill.

Watch his Celebration here:

Shafique went on to play a magnificent innings of 113 off 103 balls smashing 10 fours and three sixes. He got involved in a massive 176-run stand off 155 balls with Mohammad Rizwan for the third wicket and helped his side recover from the early blows.

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Notably, it was just the fifth innings of Shafique’s ODI career as he replaced Fakhar Zaman in the playing XI against Sri Lanka. In the five ODIs so far, Shafique has scored 193 runs from five innings at an average of 38.60 with one hundred and one fifty to his name. The 23-year-old further has a stellar record in his short Test career of just 14 matches having scored 1220 runs from 14 matches at an average of 50.83 with four hundreds and four fifties to his name.

Mohammad Rizwan took Pakistan home with his unbeaten 131

Meanwhile, after Shafique’s dismissal, Mohammad Rizwan remained at the crease and battled through severe cramps as he helped Pakistan chase down the highest target in World Cup history. Rizwan played a magnificent innings of 131* (121) smashing eight fours and three sixes as Pakistan chased down 345 in 48.2 overs and won the match by six wickets. Rizwan was deservedly awarded Player of the Match for his scintillating hundred.

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Earlier in the day, Kusal Mendis also scripted history by scoring the fastest hundred by a Sri Lankan batter in the ODI World Cup in just 65 balls. He went on to score 122 off 77 balls and got good support from Sadeera Samarawickrama (108 off 99) as the duo helped Sri Lanka post 344/9 in their allotted 50 overs.