Following their hard-fought victory over Bangladesh, Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan expressed his gratitude to the fans as they advanced to the Semi Finals of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024. The thrilling match took place at the Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent, Saint Vincent, and The Grenadines on June 24, 2024.
Afghanistan achieved their first-ever World Cup semi-final by winning an eight-run thriller over Bangladesh, which also knocked out Australia from the T20 tournament. Chasing a revised target of 114 runs in 19 overs due to rain interruptions, Bangladesh was bowled out for 105. Captain Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq each took four wickets in the victory, setting up a historic clash against South Africa in the semi-final.
Despite batting first with a modest total of 115-5, Afghanistan’s hopes seemed uncertain. Rahmanullah Gurbaz top-scored with 43 runs but took 55 deliveries to reach that mark. Rishad Hossain’s three wickets triggered a collapse, but Rashid’s late onslaught of three sixes ensured a competitive total.
Bangladesh needed to chase down the target in just 12.1 overs to secure a semi-final spot, but Afghanistan’s bowlers dominated. Litton Das’ unbeaten 54 was not enough as regular wickets fell, ultimately leading to their downfall. Naveen’s double-strike in the penultimate over sealed the victory, sparking emotional celebrations from the Afghanistan team.
India’s win over Australia earlier in the day set up a semi-final clash with holders England, completing the lineup for highly anticipated semi-final matches.
