Hungary vs Belgium – T20I 2026 Match Report | Statz
Belgium won by 87 runs against Hungary in the 104th match of 135 in the T20 Internationals 2026 season, posting 211/5 before bowling the hosts out for 124 at the Moara Vlasiei Cricket Ground in Ilfov County, Romania.
First Innings – Belgium 211/5 (20 overs)
Belgium won the toss and chose to bat – a decision that paid off handsomely. Aziz Mohammad Babarkrkhail and Omid Rahimi put on 109 for the first wicket in just 9.4 overs, setting the tone for a commanding display.
Rahimi was the aggressor early, smashing 55 off 28 balls at a strike rate of 196 with six fours and three sixes. Babarkrkhail was the steadier presence, compiling 57 from 35 deliveries with seven fours and two sixes before falling at 127/2 in the 12th over.
The loss of Ali Raza for a golden duck brought Omid Malik Khel to the crease, and he picked up where the openers left off. His unbeaten 59 from 34 balls, laced with five fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 174, ensured Belgium kicked on through the death overs. Muhammad Sheraz Sheikh chipped in with a brisk 26 off 18, hitting three sixes before being bowled.
For Hungary, Amal Jacob was the standout with the ball, returning 3/34 from his four overs at an economy of 8.50 – comfortably the best figures on show. Abbas Ghani picked up 1/25 from three overs, but the rest of the attack was expensive. Muhammad Saqlain went for 52 from his four overs at an economy of 13, while Matthew Ainsworth conceded 31 from just two.
Second Innings – Hungary 124 all out (16.3 overs)
Chasing 212, Hungary never got close. Vinoth Ravindran was run out for 1 in the second over, and despite Abbas Ghani striking four fours in a quick 18, wickets fell at regular intervals.
Ravi Thapliyal was devastating with the ball, claiming 4/28 from his four overs at an economy of just 7.00 – the best bowling figures of the match. Zaki Shah supported with a miserly 2/22 from four overs at 5.50, and even part-timer Babarkrkhail got in on the act with 2/9 from 1.3 overs.
Muhammad Soban (28 off 24) and Robert John Ainsworth (28 off 23) showed some fight in the middle order, putting on a partnership that briefly gave the scoreboard a more respectable look. But both fell to Thapliyal, and once they departed, Hungary’s last four wickets tumbled for just 22 runs. The innings folded in the 17th over – Belgium winning by a comfortable 87 runs.
Statz MVP – Amal Jacob
Despite being on the losing side, Amal Jacob earned the Statz MVP award with a match impact rating of 98.34. His 3/34 with the ball was the only thing standing between Belgium and an even bigger total. The Statz match impact rating calculates impact based on match context – recognising quality performances regardless of the result. No official Man of the Match was awarded.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Amal Jacob (HUN) – 98.34 – 3/34 bowling
- Ravi Thapliyal (BEL) – 80.64 – 4/28 bowling
- Omid Rahimi (BEL) – 77.25 – 55(28) batting
- Aziz Mohammad Babarkrkhail (BEL) – 69.98 – 57(35) batting + 2/9 bowling
- Omid Malik Khel (BEL) – 68.89 – 59*(34) batting
Turning Point
The opening partnership of 109 between Babarkrkhail and Rahimi effectively ended this match as a contest before the halfway mark. Belgium’s openers scored at nearly 12 runs per over through the powerplay and beyond, putting the required rate beyond Hungary from the outset. By the time Rahimi fell in the 10th over, the damage was already done.
Match Context
This was the second meeting between these two sides, and Belgium have now won both encounters. With no ICC T20I rankings for either team, these fixtures in Romania form part of the growing European T20I circuit. Belgium’s batting depth – three fifties in a single innings – will be a real statement heading into the remaining matches of the 135-game season.
