SHARJAH: Najibullah Zadran smashed 59 as Afghanistan posted a challenging 190 for four against Scotland in their opening Super 12s match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Monday.

The left-handed Najibullah extended Afghanistan´s charge led by Hazratullah Zazai, who hit 44, after they elected to bat first in Sharjah.

Najibullah and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (46) put together an attacking 87-run partnership for third wicket to tear into the Scotland bowling with seven sixes between them.

Najibullah fell on the final ball of the innings while attempting his fourth six in a 34-ball blitz that took Afghanistan past their previous tournament-best of 186 in 2016.

Zazai put on a quickfire opening stand of 54 with Mohammad Shahzad, who made 22, to unsettle the opposition bowling.

Zazai smashed three fours and three sixes in his 30-ball knock before Mark Watt denied the batsman a fifty after bowling him with a toe-crushing yorker.

Safyaan Sharif took two wickets in an innings that witnessed 11 hits over the fence.

Scotland, who made the Super 12s of this tournament for the first time after they won all three matches in the qualifying stage, need a daunting 191 for victory.

Teams

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Asghar Afghan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (capt), Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Scotland: George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer (capt), Matthew Cross (wk), Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Josh Davey, Safyaan Sharif, Bradley Wheal