Afghanistan has confirmed its place in the World Cup semi-finals by defeating Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s defeat has dashed Australia’s hopes and knocked them out of the tournament.
Cricket is a unique game in which the hunter can quickly become the prey, as demonstrated by the fall of the mighty Australian team in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Australia, often regarded as the leader in cricket and known for its dominance, especially over Asian teams, faced an unexpected turn of events.
First, Afghanistan delivered a stunning Dhobi Pachhad (flip) to Australia, defeating them in their second match of the Super 8 stage. This loss put Australia in a precarious position, needing to secure two points in their next match against India to keep their hopes alive.
However, India, the table toppers, sought revenge for their defeat in the ODI World Cup and handed Australia a crushing blow, defeating them by 24 runs.
Australia’s fate then hinged on the outcome of the Bangladesh vs. Afghanistan match. A win for Bangladesh would have allowed Australia to advance based on net run rate. But the unexpected occurred—Bangladesh lost to Afghanistan by 8 runs.
In a remarkable turn of events, three Asian teams—Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh—collaborated in their efforts to eliminate Australia from the World Cup, silencing the once-dominant Kangaroos.
World Cup Semifinalists
After Afghanistan’s victory over Bangladesh, the scenarios have become clear, and the World Cup has four semifinalists: India, Afghanistan, England, and South Africa.
In the next stage, India will take on England, while South Africa will face Afghanistan. The winners of these matches will advance to the tournament final.
However, there’s a rain contingency: if rain disrupts the India vs. England match, India will directly qualify for the finals. The same scenario applies to the South Africa vs. Afghanistan match, with South Africa advancing to the final if rain prevents the match from completion.
Afghanistan vs Bangladesh
Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first in a low-scoring match against Bangladesh. Rahmanullah Gurbaz provided a solid start with a gritty 43 off 55 balls. However, once Gurbaz was dismissed, the rest of the Afghan batting lineup struggled to stay at the crease. Afghanistan managed to score only 115 runs in their 20 overs.
Rishad Hossain was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, taking 3 wickets. Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman chipped in with a wicket each.
In response, Bangladesh’s chase of the modest total got off to a shaky start, losing their first wicket with just 16 runs on the board. Litton Das was the lone warrior for Bangladesh, scoring a valiant 54 off 49 balls.
The match was further complicated by rain, which led to a reduction in overs. The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method revised the match duration to 19 overs and the target to 114 runs. Despite the adjusted target, Bangladesh fell short, losing the match by 8 runs.
Afghanistan’s bowlers delivered a stellar performance, with Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid Khan each taking 4 wickets. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Gulbadin Naib contributed with a wicket apiece.
Also read: India Defeats Australia to Almost Kick Them Out of the World Cup
