NEW DELHI:
Afghanistan
advanced to the semi-finals of the 2024 ICC
T20 World Cup
with a dramatic eight-run victory (DLS) over
Bangladesh
in their final Super Eight match in St Vincent on Tuesday. Afghanistan joined India as the qualifiers from Group 1, thus eliminating Australia from the tournament.
Bangladesh also had an opportunity to progress or send Australia through with a victory.
However, the Afghans bowled out Bangladesh for 105, securing the victory they needed to set up their first World Cup semi-final against South Africa in Trinidad on Thursday.
As it happened: Afghanistan vs Bangladesh
Skipper
Rashid Khan
played a pivotal role by taking 4-23, and Naveen-ul-Haq supported him with 4-26 in a resolute bowling performance that clinched the victory for Afghanistan. This after Afghanistan's hopes were initially hampered when they were restricted to a modest 115/5 while batting.
T20 World Cup Schedule | Stats
The final overs were filled with high drama. Bangladesh required roughly a run per ball, and the DLS calculations shifted with every wicket and boundary.
Naveen-ul-Haq sealed the game in the penultimate over by bowling Taskin Ahmed and trapping Mustafizur Rahman in front of successive deliveries, triggering joyous celebrations among his teammates.
Earlier after Afghanistan decided to bat first, the Bangladesh bowlers made scoring difficult, combining for 66 dot balls throughout the innings. They managed to break the opening partnership of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran in the 11th over when it was worth 59 runs. Rishad Hossain caused damage with figures of 3-26, dismissing Ibrahim for 18 and then Gurbaz for 43. Afghanistan's innings stumbled from 84-1 to 93-5 in just 11 balls.
Rashid Khan rallied with three sixes in his 10-ball 19 and was so desperate to score that he threw his bat down the pitch at his batting partner Karim Janat in frustration when Janat refused a second run in the final over.
After a brief rain delay, Bangladesh started their chase at a fair pace, needing to complete their innings in 12.1 overs to boost their run rate.
Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Tanzid Hasan lbw in the second over. Naveen-ul-Haq then removed
Najmul Hossain Shanto
and Shakib Al Hasan with successive deliveries before another shower halted the game with the score at 31-3.
Litton Das and Soumya Sarkar elevated the score to 46/3 by the end of the powerplay. Rashid Khan brought himself on and bowled Soumya Sarkar for 10 from his fourth delivery.
Rashid further dismissed Towhid Hridoy (14), captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Rishad Hossain, reducing Bangladesh to 80/7. This sequence included two wickets in successive balls, just before another rain interruption.
After the break, Bangladesh's target was reduced to 114 in 19 overs. However, their hopes of reaching the semi-finals had effectively ended. Despite the ongoing drama, opener Litton Das held firm, finishing not out on 54 even as his batting partners fell around him.
India, who defeated Australia by 24 runs earlier in St Lucia, will face title-holders England in the second semi-final in Guyana on Thursday.
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