Photo Credit: Reuters
In a dramatic and tense low-scoring encounter in St Vincent, Afghanistan qualified for the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time by defeating Bangladesh by eight runs. This historic victory saw Afghanistan progress as runners-up from Super 8s Group 1, simultaneously knocking out both Bangladesh and heavyweights Australia from the tournament.
Afghanistan will now face South Africa in Trinidad on Thursday at 01:30 BST, standing just one match away from potentially meeting either defending T20 champions England or India in Saturday's final. The game was a must-win for Afghanistan to advance to the knockout stage, but they struggled with the bat, posting a modest total of 115-5.
The rain-interrupted run chase that followed was a rollercoaster, with different teams appearing to be favourites to progress at various stages. Ultimately, it was Afghanistan who triumphed, thanks to exceptional bowling performances from captain Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq, who took four wickets each to secure the famous victory.
Bangladesh, also vying for their first World Cup semi-final berth, needed to win by a large margin to qualify on net run-rate (NRR). They managed to keep Afghanistan's dangerous opening pair, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, under control, with both falling to leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who took 3-26. However, Rashid Khan's three late sixes boosted Afghanistan's total significantly.
With their target revised to 114 off 19 overs due to rain, Bangladesh had to chase the runs down in 12.1 overs to improve their NRR. Opener Litton Das anchored their innings, finishing unbeaten on 54, but Bangladesh suffered crucial setbacks. Veteran Shakib al Hasan and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto were dismissed off successive balls by Naveen-ul-Haq in the third over.
Despite failing in their own quest for a semi-final spot, Bangladesh remained in contention for a consolation win that would have seen Australia qualify ahead of Afghanistan based on NRR. However, Naveen-ul-Haq took the final two Bangladesh wickets in successive deliveries, either side of a short rain delay, triggering jubilant celebrations from the Afghan team and their supporters.
With just one more win needed to reach the final, the Afghan team and their fans will be hoping for yet another historic performance.
