Stats: Rahmanullah Gurbaz leads Kabul Eagles to Shpageeza Cricket League 2020 title

Kabul Eagles took over the Shpageeza Cricket League 2020 title having won each of their last six matches of the tournament. The Kabul team, led by young keeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz, began the tournament with a thumping 54-run defeat in the hands of Boost Defenders. After that big loss, the Kabul team cruised to four straight wins to top the points table. They completed a record chase over the defending champions Mis Ainak Knights in the Qualifier and got better of them in the final while defending 139.

Here are some of the major stats and numbers recorded during the Shpageeza Cricket League 2020:

3 – Azmatullah Omarzai of Kabul Eagles finished with the 3rd best batting average and also the 3rd best bowling economy rate of the tournament. Omarzai scored 187 runs in seven innings at an average of 62.33 and a strike rate of 152.03 with help of an unbeaten 62.

Omarzai also picked up six wickets across 27.4 overs he bowled at an economy of 6.57. Azmatullah’s batting average and economy are the best for Kabul team in this tournament.

18y 293d – Rahmanullah Gurbaz, at the age of 18 years and 293 days, became the youngest player to win a T20 tournament. The previous youngest was Rashid Khan who was at the age of 19 years and 2 days when he led Band-e-Amir Dragons in the 2017 Shpageeza Cricket League.

Gurbaz is, however, the 2nd youngest captain to be part of a T20 final as Mahipal Lomror was 18 years and 71 days old when he led Rajasthan against Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy but ended up on the losing side.

40y 254y – Abdul Latif Ayoubi, at the age of 40 years and 254 days, made his T20 debut in the last league match of the Kabul Eagles. Abdul did not bat in the match but bowled one over and ended up conceding 16 runs. Interestingly, Abdul Latif Ayoubi was also the owner of the Kabul Eagles.

51* – Darwish Rasooli scored an unbeaten 22-ball 51 against Boost Defenders with help of seven sixes and a four. Only four players registered a lower score than Rasooli’s 51 in the T20s for hitting as many as seven maximums in an inning. The lowest is 47 by PNG’s Norman Vanua during a T20I in 2019 against Vanuatu.

99 – Rahmanullah got run-out on 99 during the league phase match against Amo Sharks. He thus became only the 3rd player in Twenty20 cricket to be runout on 99. Virat Kohli against Delhi Daredevils in the 2013 IPL and Marcus Stoinis against Brisbane Heat in the BBL 2017-18 are the other two players to be dismissed run out on 99 in T20s.

106* – Mohammad Shahzad’s unbeaten 106 against Boost Defenders is the only hundred recorded in this tournament. Shahzad finished the tournament with 291 runs across eight innings. Prior to this tournament, Shahzad never featured in a T20 match on Afghanistan soil.

209 – The target of 209 that Kabul Eagles chased down in the first Qualifier against Mis Ainak Knights is the 3rd highest successful chase by any team in a T20 knockout/playoff.

Cape Cobras chased down 223 against Titans during the 2nd leg of the semi-final in the 2010-11 Standard Pro20 Series while Karachi Dolphins won by 5 wickets against Rawalpindi Rams chasing 210 during the Semi-Final of Faysal Bank T-20 Cup 2010-11.

232/2 – The total of 232/2 recorded by Band-e-Amir Dragons against Boost Defenders is the highest T20 total on Afghanistan soil. The Dragons surpassed their own record which they created in 2019 with 225/2 against Kabul Eagles.