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GHENNAI: Veteran Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib scripted a memorable milestone on Sunday, completing 1,000 runs in men’s T20 internationals during Afghanistan’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener against New Zealand at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Naib reached the landmark when he pushed for his seventh run in the eighth over of Afghanistan’s innings, becoming only the ninth Afghan batter to cross the 1,000-run mark in the shortest format.
The 34-year-old joined an elite group that includes Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran among Afghanistan’s leading run-scorers in T20Is.
Afghanistan batter with 1000-plus runs in men’s T20Is
Rahmanullah Gurbaz – 2166 runs
Mohammad Shahzad – 2048 runs
Najibullah Zadran – 1830 runs
Ibrahim Zadran – 1705 runs
Asghar Afghan – 1382 runs
Hazratullah Zazai – 1160 runs
Samiullah Shinwari – 1013 runs
Gulbadin Naib – 1000 runs
Naib crowned the milestone with a commanding performance, top-scoring with a fluent 63 off 35 deliveries, laced with four fours and three sixes. His knock proved pivotal as Afghanistan posted a competitive 182/6 against New Zealand.
Apart from Naib, Sediqullah Atal contributed 29, Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 27, and Darwish Rasooli added a quick 20, helping Afghanistan build a strong total in their tournament opener.
