Not Smith or Kohli but Afghanistan's Bahir Shah averages more than Sir Don Bradman

Mumbai: Afghanistan has been one of the up and coming cricketing nations in the world. Last year, Afghanistan was granted Test status along with Ireland, and recently, it was announced that they would play their first Test against India in India later this year.

Afghanistan’s under-19 cricketer Bahir Shah Mahboob recently surpassed Australian cricket legend Don Bradman’s average of 99.94 in First-Class cricket, topping the chart with an average of 121.77.

This is one rare feat which does not include the likes of India captain Virat Kohli, or his Australian Satistics of players with highest first-class batting average, minimum 1000 first-class runs. (Photo: Screengrab from ICC website)counterpart Steve Smith.

That was an unforgettable moment for me,” Bahir said to cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Bahir scored a memorable 256 in his debut first-class match for Speen Ghar against Amo Region during a domestic tournament in the Asian country last year in October.

“I stayed at the wicket for two days, staying very comfortable. I worked on my fitness before the tournament, and the coaches taught me how to bat well. For everyone whenever they get the best score in their life it’s a very enjoyable, exciting moment," he added.

“It’s difficult to get the opportunity play for our domestic sides, so I’m very thankful for my family and for my friends and my head coach for their support. I only thought I would try my best for my side, so to get 1,000 runs was amazing," he contiunued.

The 17-year-old youngster is a part of Afghanistan’s youth team which is set to play in the upcoming edition of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup, kicking off on Saturday in January.