The opening day of ICC Men’s T20I World Cup 2024 Asia Regional Qualifier B tournament witnessed an iconic moment in the history of T20 cricket. Syazrul Idrus became the first bowler in T20 Internationals to take a seven wicket-haul in a single match.
Malaysia defeated China by eight wickets in the series opener on Wednesday (26 July) at Bayuemas Oval. Idrus accomplished the feat in the opening game of the competition as he returned with exceptional individual figures of 7/8.
A total of Twelve bowlers, including the Indian combo of Deepak Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal, Australian spinner Ashton Agar, and Sri Lankan tweaker Ajantha Mendis, had previously earned six-wicket hauls in a Men's T20I, but an elusive seven-wicket haul had never been documented until Idrus achieved this incredible feat.
The right-arm pacer completely destroyed China's batting lineup with seven opposition batters falling prey to him. The 32-year-old conceded just 8 runs in his quota of four overs, this included an absolutely tightly bowled maiden. The visitors were dismissed for just 23 runs within 11.2 overs.
Even though while batting Malaysia lost two early wickets, the team was successful in chasing down the target in the fifth over, giving a dream start to the qualifying tournament ahead of the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies next year. The winner of the tournament progresses to the Asia Regional Final in Nepal in November. The top two teams will qualify for the prestigious 20-over showcase event in 2024.