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COLOMBO: Pakistan opening batter Sahibzada Farhan joined former batter Ahmed Shehzad in an elusive list with a century against Namibia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground on Wednesday.
Farhan’s 100* off 58 balls with the aid of four sixes and 11 fours played a vital role in propelling Pakistan to a big total of 200.
After scoring a ton, the right-hander became only the second Pakistani batter after Ahmed Shehzad to score a century in the T20 World Cup.
Previously, Shehzad had scored a century against Bangladesh in the 2014 World Cup.
The century also took Farhan to the top of the runs chart in the tournament, accumulating 220 runs in four matches at an average of 73.33.
Overall, he is the fifth Pakistani batter to score a hundred in T20Is, joining the likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Ahmed Shehzad, and Hasan Nawaz.
Moreover, he also became the 13th batter to make a ton in the mega event, joining the likes of Chris Gayle and other notable players.
Opting to bat first, Pakistan made a brisk start as Farhan and Saim Ayub stitched together a quickfire 40-run opening stand in just over five overs.
The partnership ended when Jack Brassell dismissed Ayub for 14 off 12 balls, an innings that included two boundaries.
Skipper Salman Ali Agha then joined Farhan at the crease, and the pair built a steady 67-run partnership for the second wicket, guiding Pakistan past the 100-run mark and laying the foundation for a big total.
Youngster Khawaja Nafay was promoted to number four but could only manage five runs before falling to Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus.
Farhan, however, continued to dominate. Joined by Shadab Khan, the duo added an unbeaten 81-run stand for the fourth wicket to propel Pakistan to an imposing total.
Shadab, after a cautious start, accelerated to finish on 36 off 22 balls, striking one four and three sixes.
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