Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by 8 runs (DLS Method) in their final Super 8 clash to clinch a spot in the semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Afghanistan knew that a win would be enough to book their place in the last four after Australia succumbed to India earlier in the day. Bangladesh restricted Afghanistan to 115-5 in their 20 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 43 runs and Rashid Khan made a quick fire 19 to drag the Afghans to 115.
Rishad Hossain got 3 wickets for the Bangla Tigers.
In reply, Bangladesh got off to a decent start with Liton Das hitting some gorgeous strokes. After a brief interruption due to rain, Rashid Khan (4 for 23) and Naveen Ul Haq (4 for 26) combined to sweep up the Bangladesh middle and lower order and take the game away from Bangladesh.
Liton Das remained not out on 54 as he watched the wickets tumble from the other end. Bangladesh ended on 105 all out in 17.5 overs.
Naveen-ul-Haq was awarded the Man of the Match award for his outstanding bowling figures.
With this win, Afghanistan qualified for the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time in their history.
The victory means they progress as runners-up from Group 1 of Super 8, knocking out heavyweights Australia in the process.
Semi-Final 1: Afghanistan v South Africa
Afghanistan will play South Africa in their first-ever World Cup semi-final. South topped Group 2 of the Super 8 winning some thrillers on the way. The Proteas defeated the USA, England, and West Indies to reach the semifinals.
Both teams are looking to win their first-ever World Cup trophy. Despite being a household name in cricket, South Africa have won their only major ICC title in 1998 by winning the ICC Champions Trophy in Bangladesh.
South Africa versus Afghanistan will start at 8:30PM local time on Wednesday, June 26, at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. The match will have a reserve day in case the game gets washed out due to rain.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
