By Aayush Kataria

Copyright timesnownews

Mohammad Nabi etched multiple world records after rescuing Afghanistan from a spot of bother to help them post a respectable total of 169 in their must-win Asia Cup 2025 clash against Sri Lanka at the Sheild Zayad Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (September 18). Nabi made a 22-ball 60 in a knock that included six maximums and three boundaries. At the end of the 18th over, Nabi had made only 14 runs in 10 balls before making 46 runs in the last two overs. The Rashid Khan-led side went from 79-6 to 169. The eight-wicket partnership of Nabi and Noor Ahmed added 59 runs in 17 balls. Mohammed Nabi Sets Multiple World Records In Historic Display Nabi scored 31 runs in the final over of Dunith Wellelage, which included five sixes in the first five balls. However, he missed out on creating history with a sixth as only one run came on the final delivery. This is the most runs made in a match among full members in the final over of an innings in a T20I. No other player had before made more than 30 runs in the 20th over. Most Runs In The 20th Over Of A T20I PlayerRunsTeamOpponentYearMohammad Nabi31AfghanistanSri Lanka2025David Miller28South AfricaPakistan2019 Marlon Samuels28West IndiesBangladesh2012Ruturaj Gaikwad27IndiaAustralia2023Among non-Test-playing nation players, only Nepal’s Dipendre Singh Airee has done better in the final over when he hit six sixes against Qatar in the 20th over during a match in 2024. r Nabi is also the second-oldest player to score a half-century in a T20I against a full-member national team behind Chris Gayle. He is the first player over 40 to reach the milestone against Sri Lanka. Interestingly, Craig Ervine (38 years, 150 days) had set the record for the oldest T20I half-century against the 2014 World Champions earlier this month. Nabi is the oldest to reach the milestone against Sri Lanka in any format in history. Oldest T20I Half-Centurions vs Full Member Nation Teams PlayerAgeTeamOpponentYearChris Gayle41 years, 194 daysWest IndiesAustralia2025Mohammad Nabi40 years, 260 daysAfghanistanSri Lanka2021Sanath Jayasuriya39 years, 345 daysSri LankaWest Indies2024The Afghanistan cricket veteran also became the oldest player to score fifty and take a wicket in a T20I against one of the 12 Test-playing nations in a T20I. He is the only player in his 40s to achieve the feat. The legendary all-rounder dismissed Pathum Nissanka. Ireland’s David Johnson previously held the record. Nabi is also the oldest to score a half-century in Asia Cup’s history in either format, breaking Misbah Ul-Haq’s record. In the T20 format, Tilakaratne Dilshan held the record. The Afghanistan star is the first player to reach the milestone after turning 40. Oldest Asia Cup half-Centurions PlayerAgeOpponentYearFormatMohammad Nabi40 years, 260 daysSri Lanka2025T20IMisbah-ul-Haq39 years, 284 daysSrii Lanka2014ODIMisbah-ul-Haq39 years, 273 daysSri Lanka2014ODITilakartene Dilshan39 years, 142 daysPakistan2016T20IMeanwhile, this is the second time in his career that Nabi has made a knock of over 60 with a strike-rate of more than 270 in his career. He is the first player in T20Is to achieve the feat against a Test-playing team. Overall nine players have done the same before