Despite all odds, the Afghanistan cricket team have scripted history by registering their first T20 World Cup semi-final appearance in the 2024 edition of the tournament.
Afghanistan qualified for T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal
Afghanistan made their T20 World Cup appearance in 2010 and waited nearly 15 years to achieve this glory. Afghanistan achieved this feat by beating Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 game at St Vincent.
Apart from qualifying for the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals, the victory also knocked Australia out of the tournament who was left with a back door entry option with Bangladesh’s victory. Afghans executed an all-rounding performance throughout the tournament.
Their historic victory against Australia in the Super 8 stage added some extra boost for their players ahead of the crucial Bangladesh clash.
Afghanistan in T20 World Cups
- 2010 – Round 1 (group stage)
- 2012 – Round 1 (group stage)
- 2014 – Round 1 (group stage)
- 2016 – Round 2 (Super 8s, Super 10s and Super 12s)
- 2021 – Round 2 (Super 8s, Super 10s and Super 12s)
- 2022 – Round 2 (Super 8s, Super 10s and Super 12s)
- 2024 – Semi-finalist
Speaking of the match, Afghanistan decided to bat first after winning the toss while Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zardan opened the inning.
Batting first, Afghnas made a slow start like they did against Australia and gave importance to building the partnership which could fire during the second half of the inning. the duo managed to score only 27 runs in their first powerplay and was expected to make an explosive batting attack.
But Bangladesh’s tight bowling spell struggled the Afghan openers which made them score only 58 runs at the end of 10 overs. With 50 runs stand, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz registered the most fifty-plus stands for Afghanistan in T20Is (any wicket).
Rishad Hossain in the 11th over finally broke the long-standing opening partnership by dismissing Ibrahim Zadran for 18 runs. With the dismissal, Afghans started to struggle with a dip in the run rate.
With 13 off the 14th over, Afghanistan managed to score 80 runs for a wicket loss at the end of 15 overs. With back-to-back wickets and a brilliant 19th over from Mustafizur Rahman, Afghanistan scored 100 runs at the end of 19 overs.
With a couple of sixes from Rashid Khan in the final over, Afghanistan scored 115 runs for 5 wickets loss at the end of 20 overs.
While chasing, Bangladesh made a delightful start and failed to continue the momentum. Litton Das scored an impressive 13 runs in the first over but his batting partner Tanzid Hasan lost his wicket in the following over.
Fazalhaq Farooqi made the early breakthrough by trapping Tanzid in an LBW dismissal. Naveen-ul-Haq in the next over made a huge drama by dismissing Shanto and Shakib in back-to-back deliveries.
The rain interrupted the game in the middle of the fourth over and halted the game for a bit longer. Bangladesh scored 31 runs for 3 wickets in 3.2 overs at the time. With the game resumed without any overs lost, Bangladesh scored 46 runs for three wickets loss at the end of the first powerplay.
Rashid Khan who bowled the next over bagged another wicket by dismissing Soumya Sarkar for 10 runs. With mixed gameplay from Bangladesh, they scored 77 runs for five wickets loss at the end of 10 overs.
Rashid Khan struck again in the 11th over and bagged back-to-back wickets in the final two deliveries and moved the wickets count to seven.
In the middle of the next over, rain again intervened in the game and reduced the match to 19 overs with a revised target of 114. Though wickets start falling at one end of the game, Litton Das with his fifty kept Afghanistan in check.
With 12 needed off 12 balls, Naveen-ul-Haq dismissed Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur in consecutive deliveries and helped Afghanistan to book their semifinal spot eliminating Australia and Bangladesh.
Afghanistan will play their semi final game against South Africa on June 26 in Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad.
𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 👉🏻 𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈-𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐎𝐅 #T20WorldCup2024! 🇧🇩
Ecstatic scenes at St Vincent, and tears of joy flow as #NaveenulHaq wins it for Afghanistan while also knocking out the mighty Aussies! 🙌🏻
Watch them next in action 👉🏻 Semi Final 1 | SA 🆚 AFG |… pic.twitter.com/eGLE97Z108
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 25, 2024
