Rehan Ahmed was praised for going above and beyond with a match-winning performance in England’s thrilling victory over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup.
The 21-year-old leg-spinner, who was recalled to the squad for his tournament debut in Colombo, dismissed Rachin Ravindra with his first delivery and then took the wicket of Cole McConchie to finish with 2-28 in his three overs.
The Leicestershire all-rounder then scored an inspired 19 not out from seven balls, sparking an unbroken seventh wicket stand of 44 from 16 balls with Will Jacks, and their blockbuster partnership propelled England to victory with three balls to spare.
England captain Harry Brook said: “We’ve seen what Rehan can do in the net.” “He went out there and made a great play to take the game away from New Zealand.”
Barring a series of surprises, the victory took England to the top of their group with three wins from three games, before sealing a semi-final showdown with tournament co-hosts India or the West Indies in Mumbai.
Asked live on Sky Sports if Ahmed had done enough to secure a place for next Thursday’s match at the Wankhede Stadium, Brook added: “(There is) room for discussion.”
“We told the group at the start of the competition that we would choose based on criteria. We thought this was a great opportunity to bring in Rehan and he has done a great job.”
“Upping the ante”
Jacks revealed how his partner in crime Ahmed’s six goals laid the foundation for Glenn Phillips’ 22 points and paved the way for England’s victory.
“It was important to keep it simple. Rehan played a great innings,” Jacks said after winning his record fourth T20 World Cup Player of the Year award.
“Everyone that came on that pitch struggled right away and took a while to find their pace. But that six he hit on his second pitch gave them the advantage and put them on the back foot. And I was able to beat him.”
“After Phillips’ over, we talked about the need to take risks. (The run rate was) 15 overs. We talked about hitting the gaps and running hard. We picked up some crucial two-shots.”
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Highlights of the T20 World Cup Super 8 match between England and New Zealand.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner highlighted Ahmed’s deftness on Colombo’s difficult surface for run-scoring.
“It was a good game, a close one,” he said. “The pace of England’s chase and the finishing touch from Jax and Ahmed was some good batting.
“Rehan has shown top-notch ability with the bat over the past few years. He is a spin player so he didn’t get too upset on the wicket.”
“Over the roof”
Michael Atherton said Ahmed added value to a struggling England team against New Zealand and could be peaking at the right time after a perfect Super 8 phase.
Former England international Moeen Ali pointed to Ahmed’s recent development and how his willingness to take risks has influenced the team.
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Harry Brooke shares his thoughts on Rehan Ahmed’s World Cup debut, Jos Buttler’s form and the semi-final against India or West Indies in Mumbai.
“His batting over the last 12 to 18 months has been through the roof,” he said. “He’s doing very well at Leicester and he’s also doing well at The Hundred.
“To come out in that situation where you need a three-over 46 and play the way he plays, he just has the confidence.
“The moment he hit that first six and took that risk, he gave everyone a bit of belief. You could feel the momentum shifting towards England.”
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