OTD | Shahid Afridi scored 109 in only 94 balls to beat India in Sahara Friendship Cup series in 1998

The rivalry between India and Pakistan has always grabbed all the attention in the Cricketing world. While the two arch-rivals only meet in the major tournaments today, this was not the case a few years ago. India and Pakistan also played in an annual event called the Sahara Friendship Cup held in Canada. The Cup ran from 1996-98 in the ODI format and was a five-match bilateral series. 

One of the most memorable knocks from this series was Shahid Afridi’s 109 in 94 balls in the 4th match of the 1998 series. Coming into this match, the Men in Green had looked strong, having won two of the first three games. They were looking to seal the series with a win in this game at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club.

India won the toss and chose to field first, putting Pakistan in to bat. They lost opener Saeed Anwar early, putting pressure on the batting lineup to recover. With much on the line, Pakistan’s batsmen rose to the challenge and amassed an impressive total.

The standout performer was Shahid Afridi, who scored 109 runs in a remarkable innings, hitting seven fours and six sixes. He received solid support from Aamer Sohail, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, and Saleem Malik, who contributed 46, 78, and 39 runs, respectively. Thanks to Afridi’s century, Pakistan finished their 50 overs with a total of 316 runs.

India’s horrific run with the bat

In the chase, India also lost a couple of early wickets in Sourav Ganguly and Nayan Mongia. However, captain Mohammad Azharuddin and opener Navjyot Singh Sidhu tried to get the side back on track. Azharuddin scored 40 runs in 56 balls, while Sidhu scored 62 runs in 78 balls. Once these two lost their wickets, it was all downhill for the Men in Blue. 

The Indian side faced a couple of run-outs in the 30th over which put a lot of pressure on them with 181 more runs needed to win. The Indian side continued to lose wickets to Saqlain Mushtaq and were bundled up for just 182 runs, with Sidhu being their highest run-getter. Pakistan won the match and the series and Shahid Afridi was awarded the Player of the Match.

Disclaimer: This exclusive news is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and intuition. While reviewing this information, consider the points discussed and form your own conclusions.