After Afghanistan's record ton vs. Australia at the World Cup, Ibrahim Zadran reveals a lesser-known chat with Sachin Tendulkar
Before a brilliant batting show by Glenn Maxwell took over as he played an innings of a lifetime, Ibrahim Zadran made sure Afghanistan punched above its weight for the umpteenth time at the ICC World Cup 2023. Fresh from sealing their berth in the ICC Champions Trophy, Afghanistan stunned the entire cricket fraternity by fighting Australia tooth and nail for a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup on Tuesday.
While the bowlers of the Afghanistan cricket team caused an early scare during the Australian innings, it was opener Zadran who laid the foundation for a challenging total against Australia in match No. 39 of the World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium. Zadran opened the inning for Afghanistan, and the young batter remained unbeaten against Australia. Zadran played a brilliant knock of 129 off 143 balls as his maiden World Cup ton guided Afghanistan to 291-5 in 50 overs.
Zadran spent the longest time with Sachin Tendulkar when the batting legend decided to pay a special visit to the Afghan camp. He said, "I had a good chat with Sachin Tendulkar. He shared his experience, and I said before the match that I would bat like Sachin Tendulkar. He gave me a lot of energy and confidence.”