Ireland's captain Paul Stirling achieved a remarkable feat during the first T20I match against Afghanistan on March 15 in Sharjah. He became the first batter in history to smash 400 fours in T20 Internationals. This puts him in a league of his own, with the likes of Babar Azam and Virat Kohli trailing behind.
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Paul Stirling first to hit 400 fours
Stirling's knock of 25 runs on Friday included two boundaries, helping him cross the coveted 400-four mark. He has now accumulated a total of 401 fours in his 135 T20I appearances. Following closely behind is former Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, with 395 fours in 109 T20Is. Rounding out the top five are Indian batsmen Virat Kohli (361 fours in 117 matches) and Rohit Sharma (359 fours in 151 matches). Australian opener David Warner also finds a place on this list with 320 fours in 103 T20I innings.
Batsmen with most fours in T20Is
| Players | Fours | Matches |
| Paul Stirling | 401 | 135 |
| Babar Azam | 395 | 109 |
| Virat Kohli | 361 | 117 |
| Rohit Sharma | 359 | 151 |
| David Warner | 320 | 103 |
Talking about the match, Ireland won the toss and elected to bat first in the first T20I against Afghanistan. They got off to a decent start, reaching 48 runs for the loss of just one wicket during the powerplay overs. However, the tide turned when Afghanistan's star spinner, Rashid Khan, entered the attack. Khan bagged two quick wickets, leaving Ireland at a precarious 66/4 after 10.3 overs.
Just when things were looking shaky, Harry Tector stepped up for Ireland with a well-composed unbeaten knock of 56 runs. Thanks to Tector's efforts, Ireland managed to set a modest target of 150 runs for Afghanistan to chase in their 20 overs. Afghanistan's chase got off to a disastrous start. They lost their top 3 batsmen within the first 2 overs for a mere 4 runs on the board. Irish pacer Josh Little was the wrecker-in-chief, taking two wickets in consecutive deliveries during the second over. Afghanistan never really recovered from this early collapse and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals.
Ireland's spin attack, led by Ben White, also played a crucial role in restricting Afghanistan. White picked up a four-wicket haul for just 20 runs, dismantling the Afghan batting order. Eventually, Afghanistan were bundled out for a paltry 111 runs, handing Ireland a convincing 38-run victory. Ben White was deservedly adjudged the Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling performance. The focus now shifts to the second T20I of the series, scheduled for Sunday, March 17.
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