Afghanistan pulled off an incredible historic victory in a match that will go down in history, sending Australia out of the World Cup and securing their spot in the semifinals. This incredible achievement pushed the Super 8 stage to an exciting conclusion.
Following the final whistle, the Afghan players acknowledged their supporters and the West Indian fans who had been encouraging them by taking a joyful lap of the pitch. The excitement of the spectators at this historic event created an electrifying environment. Many of the athletes displayed their pride and togetherness in their country by draping the Afghanistan flag around their shoulders.
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On the pitch, there was an obvious change in mood from the previous tension and happy tears. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, one of the players, showed the tenacity and energy that defined their performance by joining his teammates in celebration despite limping. The team’s pivotal member, Rashid Khan, was lifted on his teammates’ shoulders as a fitting homage to his outstanding leadership and commitment. He has always supported Afghanistan, and today he demonstrated his value by leading his squad with outstanding competence and poise.
The victory is a credit to all of the Afghan players’ effort and commitment. They represented their country with pride on the global stage by playing with heart, resiliency, and unflinching dedication.
Drama, amusement, tension, celebration, and satisfaction were all there in this game. No movie could have equaled this encounter’s storyline twists. With three teams competing for a semifinal spot Australia, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh each with its own unique set of equations, the race got even more thrilling. Australia required Bangladesh to win after 12.4 overs, Afghanistan just needed to win, and Bangladesh needed to chase 115 in 12.4 overs to guarantee their berth.
Bangladesh’s Litton Das got things going with a bang, but the pace combination of Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq struck three times in the first two overs to level the score. The tension was increased by rain stops, and the equation was always changing, sometimes favoring Afghanistan according to the DLS approach and other times favoring Bangladesh.
Ashton continued in his aggressive style of play while Rashid Khan maneuvered his way around Bangladesh’s middle order. Bangladesh’s hopes of qualifying for the semifinals diminished as the game went above the 10-over threshold, and they became entirely preoccupied with winning. But again, the tide reversed with a few careless attempts and Gulbadin Naib knocking out Shakib Al Hasan.
Bangladesh needed 12 runs from the final two overs with Litton still at the crease, which gave their supporters hope. However, Naveen-ul-Haq hit twice in a row to give Afghanistan their biggest-ever victory, advance them to the semifinals, and eliminate Australia from the World Cup.
Match Summary Afghanistan vs Bangladesh
Bangladesh Playing XI:
- Litton Das (wk)
- Tanzid Hasan
- Najmul Hossain Shanto (c)
- Towhid Hridoy
- Shakib Al Hasan
- Mahmudullah
- Soumya Sarkar
- Rishad Hossain
- Taskin Ahmed
- Tanzim Hasan Sakib
- Mustafizur Rahman
Afghanistan Playing XI:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Gulbadin Naib
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Mohammad Nabi
- Karim Janat
- Rashid Khan (c)
- Nangeyalia Kharote
- Noor Ahmad
- Naveen-ul-Haq
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
Player Of The Match (POTM):
- Naveen-ul-Haq, AFG (4/26)
Top Scorers:
- Litton Das, BAN, 54 runs (49) 5 fours1 six
Most Wickets:
- Naveen-ul-Haq, AFG (4/26)
Toss:
- Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat
- Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, St Vincent