“Worked hard on my swing yesterday in the nets” – Shaheen Shah Afridi after his brilliant spell against India

Pakistan’s new-ball bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi set the tone for what proved to be a dream start for them at the 2021 T20 World Cup. Shaheen Shah Afridi was the pick of the bowlers against India, getting rid of their top three to restrict them to 151 in 20 overs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Rohit Sharma for a golden duck and KL Rahul cheaply in his first two overs. The left-arm seamer returned to remove Indian skipper Virat Kohli for 57 in his final spell to limit the damage.

Shaheen Shah Afridi said he was glad to execute his plans and said he worked hard to swing the ball. The 21-year-old stated he was only concentrating on getting early wickets for Pakistan.

“It was good that I could execute my plans. I worked in the nets yesterday on my swing, because it becomes difficult for me if it doesn’t swing. Early on, I just wanted to get wickets so it’ll be advantageous for my team. The ball is coming on to the bat, so hopefully we’ll chase this down comfortably,” Afridi told the broadcaster in the mid-innings presentation.

Although Afridi leaked 17 runs in his final over, he still emerged as the best bowler in the innings. His figures read a respectable 4-0-31-3.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan gun down the target easily after Shaheen Shah Afridi’s exploits

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Meanwhile, Pakistan’s openers in Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were untroubled by India’s bowlers as a total of 152 hardly proved daunting. While dew played a significant role, Azam and Rizwan took calculated risks and approached the chase calmly to leave Virat Kohli and co. dazed.

The men in green completed the run-chase without even losing a wicket and achieved their first World Cup win over India. Rizwan top-scored with 78, while the skipper made 68 to win with 13 balls to spare.