Afghanistan's Mohammad Shahzad Surpasses Virat Kohli In T20Is

Afghanistan's swashbuckling batsman Mohammad Shahzad on Sunday surpassed India captain Virat Kohli to become the fourth most run-getter in Twenty20 Internationals. In 58 matches, the Afghanistan cricketer has scored 1779 runs, 70 more than fifth-placed Kohli, who has 1709 runs in 48 matches. Shahzad is also ranked seventh in the ICC rankings for the batsmen in T20Is. Kohli, however, has played 10 less matches than the Afghan opener and is way ahead in the batting average too.

Shahzad was 31 runs short of Kohli's tally of 1709 runs when he came in to bat in the third and final T20I against Ireland in Greater Noida, which Afghanistan managed to win by 28 runs to whitewash the series 3-0.

The 29-year-old, who scored 123 runs in three matches against Ireland, ended up as the second highest run-getter of the series after Mohammad Nabi (124).

Afghanistan had defeated Ireland by 91 runs in the 2nd T20I and had won by six wickets in the first match of the Twenty20 series.

Earlier, the Afghanistan cricket team extended their record of the longest winning streak in T20Is after they got the better of Ireland on Friday in the second T20I, also at Greater Noida.

This was their tenth consecutive win in T20Is from March 2016, going past England and Ireland -- both of whom had won eight consecutive matches in a row.

Afghanistan's winning streak started with a victory over the West Indies. In the run up to their tenth win, they had defeated United Arab Emirates, Ireland and Oman.