Powerplay specialist Nasum relishes challenge with the new ball

Nasum Ahmed was yet again outstanding with the ball inside the powerplay as he broke the backbone of the Afghanistan batting line-up with a sensational four-wicket haul. Nasum's bowling figures in the powerplay read 3-0-7-4 and he, in the match, became just the second spinner in T20Is to take as many as four wickets in the powerplay. 

Nasum, since his debut, has been brilliant with the new ball and the numbers also suggest that. Since the start of 2021 in all T20s, the left-arm spinner has picked up 21 wickets inside the powerplay, the most for a spinner during this period. 

"The target given to me was to concede a maximum of 12 runs in the powerplay. I conceded just 10 and also got four wickets in my entire spell," said Nasum. "I love challenges in the powerplay, just stuck to my basics and tried to dry up the runs."

Nasum was adjudged the player of the match for his joint-best bowling figures in T20s - four for 10. It was his third four-wicket haul in his short T20I career.