Afghanistan’s Mohammad Shahzad smashed the fourth highest score in Twenty20 international history on Sunday when he made 118 in his side’s 215-6 against Zimbabwe.

The 27-year-old carried his bat having already hit Afghanistan’s first ever century in the format, reaching his hundred off 52 balls with eight fours and eight sixes.

By the end of the blitz, the opener had hit 10 boundaries and faced 67 balls in total to continue his impressive form in the Gulf having already made 131 not out in the second one-day international against Zimbabwe two weeks ago.

Shahzad’s unbeaten 118 on Sunday was one short of South Africa’s Faf du Plessis’s 119 against the West Indies in Johannesburg in January last year.

The highest ever score in T20 internationals is Australia’s Aaron Finch’s mammoth 156 made against England in Southampton in 2013 while New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum is second on the all-time list thanks to his 123 against Bangladesh in Pallekele in 2012.

Afghanistan won the first match of the two-game series against Zimbabwe at the same Sharjah venue by five runs on Friday having also claimed the ODI series 3-2.