The ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 began on Sunday, October 16, with a bang as Namibia registered a famous win over Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka, by 55 runs in the opening game.
In the second contest, fans got to see a thrilling low-scoring encounter between United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Netherlands. While the last over thriller gained everyone’s attention, there was another moment which went viral on the internet involving UAE’s teen sensation Aayan Afzal Khan.
It all happened after the dismissal of Aayan on the penultimate delivery of UAE’s innings. The youngster looked in a spot of bother while walking back into the pavilion, and as he attempted to cross the boundary rope, Aayan somehow stumbled and fell down.
Here is the video:
On the one hand it's a bit harsh to say the UAE looked out of their depth today. On the other… pic.twitter.com/TasEm07SVx
— David T (@SportingTrade) October 16, 2022
In the game, UAE, after opting to bat first, could only manage to post 111/8 in 20 overs. Opener Muhammad Waseem top scored with 41 from 47 balls, including one four and a couple of sixes. Bas de Leede and Fred Klaassen were the pick of the bowlers for the Dutch side. While De Leede bagged a three-wicket haul for 19 runs in 3 overs, Klaassen took two for 13 in his quota of 4 overs.
In response, UAE made sure the target for the Netherlands wasn’t a cakewalk as the contest went down to the wire. However, the Scott Edwards-led side eventually registered the victory by three wickets with one ball to spare.
“I like bowling in those situations because I know the batters are going to come after me. I try to be one step ahead. We plan our death overs even before the game. It was nice to pull back the game a little bit. It got a little closer than what we were expecting. Obviously, Freddie (Fred Klaassen) at the end also – outstanding,” said De Leede after winning the Player of the Match award.