Afghanistan vs Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2024: Afghanistan’s triumph over Bangladesh, following their recent victory against Australia, propelled them to the semifinals of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
India’s win over Australia earlier in the day set the stage for Afghanistan’s advancement, with victory being the only path forward against the reigning champions of 2021.
Despite facing a resilient Bangladesh bowling attack that limited Afghanistan to 115/5 in 20 overs, a stellar performance by Rashid Khan (4 for 23) and Naveen Ul Haq (4 for 26) ensured Afghanistan’s progression to the tournament’s semi-final stage.
Power Play Statistics
In challenging batting conditions match between Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, the Afghanistan opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran cautiously commenced their innings following Rashid Khan’s decision to bat first after winning the toss.
Tanzim Hasan and Taskin Ahmed exploited the conditions to trouble the Afghan batsmen initially. During Tanzim’s third over, a well-directed bouncer eluded Litton Das, resulting in four byes, followed by Ibrahim dispatching a good-length delivery through the covers.
The introduction of Shakib Al Hasan in the fifth over almost led to a breakthrough, but a missed opportunity by Towhid Hridoy at short cover granted Ibrahim a reprieve. Throughout the Power Play, Bangladesh’s bowlers maintained their precision with the ball, limiting Afghanistan to just one additional boundary.
Afghanistan defending the Target in clash between Afghanistan vs Bangladesh
In a game between Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Afghanistan defended a modest total of 115 runs on a challenging pitch, Captain Rashid Khan shone by claiming four wickets for 23 runs. Despite three rain delays that led to a revised target of 114 runs in 19 overs, Bangladesh could not secure a win and were bowled out for 105 runs in 17.5 overs.
Litton Das, unbeaten with 54 runs, posed a threat to Afghanistan’s defense and Australia’s advancement based on net run rate. However, pacer Naveen-ul-Haq sealed the victory by taking the last two wickets of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman in consecutive deliveries during the penultimate over, prompting celebrations from the Afghan team.
Conclusion of the match
Bangladesh seemed on track to achieve victory; however, a middle-overs collapse hindered their progress. In contrast, Afghanistan managed to retain stability by losing just one wicket during this critical phase, despite requiring acceleration due to a sluggish beginning.