Last Updated:
Rauf remained unbeaten on 34 runs from 16 balls on Tuesday. During his stay at the crease against Afghanistan, he hammered four sixes.
Haris Rauf breaks multiple batting records. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Haris Rauf came out to bat at No. 10 for Pakistan on Tuesday (September 2) against Afghanistan in the fourth match of the ongoing T20I tri-series in the United Arab Emirates and remained unbeaten on 34 runs from 16 balls at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. During his stay at the crease in the contest that Men in Green lost by 18 runs, Rauf hammered four sixes. He top-scored for the Salman Ali Agha-led side and also added 40 runs for the 10th wicket with Sufiyan Muqeem, who remained unbeaten on 7 runs from six balls.
Even though Rauf’s knock of 34 runs on Tuesday failed to help Pakistan avoid the embarrassment of losing a T20I match against Afghanistan in Sharjah, it helped him break multiple batting records.
The 31-year-old fast bowler from Rawalpindi became the first No. 10 or No. 11 batter to top-score for Pakistan in a T20I match. According to Cricbuzz, there have been four instances of a No. 9 batter top-scoring in an innings for Pakistan, but Tuesday was the first time when a No. 10 batter finished as the top scorer.
The four maximums by Rauf on Tuesday also helped him equal the world record of hitting the most sixes by a No. 10 or 11 batter in a T20I match. Four other No. 10 batters have scored four sixes in a T20I match, but Akeal Hosein of the West Indies is the only other cricketer from a full member nation.
During the England-West Indies T20I match in Bridgetown on January 23, 2022, Hosein hammered 4 sixes and 3 fours and played an unbeaten knock of 44 runs from just 16 balls as a No. 10 batter.
Rauf’s 40-run stand with Muqeem for the 10th wicket is now Pakistan’s highest 10th-wicket partnership in the 20-over format of the game. The duo broke the 15-year-old record of Shoaib Akhtar and Wahab Riaz.
During the 2010 T20I match played between Pakistan and New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on December 26, 2010, Riaz (30 not out from 21 balls) and Akhtar (8 not out from 4 balls) added an unbeaten 31 runs for the last wicket.
Flop show with the ball
Even though Rauf impressed with his batting in the match against Afghanistan, he failed to deliver as per expectations with the ball. The highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in T20Is bowled three overs on Tuesday and conceded 38 runs with an economy rate of 12.67 and failed to take one wicket even.
Read More
