Uganda faced a harsh initiation into elite tournament cricket after opting to bowl first, with Gurbaz and fellow opener Ibrahim Zadran unleashing a fierce assault at Providence Stadium.
Gurbaz’s innings, which included four fours and four sixes, came off 45 balls.
Zadran was equally ruthless, smashing Uganda’s bowlers to accumulate 70 off 46 balls, featuring nine fours and one six.
Their opening partnership of 154 was the second highest in men’s T20 World Cup history, only behind the 170-run stand between England’s Jos Buttler and Alex Hales at the 2022 World Cup.
Though Gurbaz and Zadran seemed set to remain unbeaten, Uganda mounted a minor comeback late in the innings. Captain Brian Masaba and Cosmas Kyewuta each took two wickets, while Alpesh Ramjani added one more.
Masaba made history by taking Uganda’s first-ever World Cup wicket, bowling Zadran in the 15th over to leave Afghanistan at 154-1.
Ramjani dismissed Gurbaz, who was caught by Riazat Ali Shah at deep square leg for 76. Masaba then claimed his second wicket, removing Najibullah Zadran, caught at deep square leg by Dinesh Nakrani.
Kyewuta captured the wickets of Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai, slowing Afghanistan’s scoring towards the end.