Afghanistan’s cricket team has risen from a fledgling unit to a force to be reckoned with in recent years. On this page on Read Scoops, we’ll delve into their cricketing history over the years, current form, and analyze their chances of lifting the coveted T20 World Cup 2024 trophy, currently taking place in USA and the West Indies.
Meteoric rise: Afghanistan’s cricket history
While Afghanistan obtained ODI status in 2009, their journey has been remarkable. They secured their first Test win in only their second match, a feat achieved by just three other cricketing nations. The 2023 Cricket World Cup was a watershed moment. They stunned England, the defending champions, and followed it up with victories over Pakistan and Sri Lanka, showcasing their growing prowess.
In that same ODI World Cup in 2023 in India, Afghanistan almost defeated Australia after getting them to 91/7. Glenn Maxwell then turned around the game in what became the first instance of a non-opener smashing a double century in an ODI game, battling injury concerns to take Australia across the line.
Current form and status in T20 World Cup 2024
Coming into the 2024 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan are riding high on confidence. They sailed through the group stage thanks mostly to a massive victory against New Zealand, bowling them out for just 75 runs. Their recent win against Australia, a powerhouse in the format, is a testament to their talent and fighting spirit.
Dwayne Bravo ‘Champion’ celebrations in Afghanistan team bus. 🇦🇫 pic.twitter.com/PQEmnexV4f
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 23, 2024
Gulbadin Naib got 4 wickets as Afghanistan beat the mighty Aussies by 21 runs. Currently, they sit in a strong position in the Super Eight group stage where they are placed with Bangladesh, India, and Australia. The current status is that both of Afghanistan and Australia now have a win in two respective games, with the Aussies having a much higher net run rate (as of 23rd Jun 2024).
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As per this situation, Afghanistan need to win their next match against Bangladesh, and they will require India to beat Australia in order to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup semi finals. In case they lose to Bangladesh, they will require India to beat the Aussies by a huge margin to negate the difference in the net run rate column.
Afghanistan – T20 World Cup best result
Afghanistan haven’t quite cracked the knockout stages in the T20 World Cup previously. Their best performance was reaching the Super 12s in the 2021 edition, and made it to the Super 8s for the first time in the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the 2023 World Cup heroics and their current form suggest they might be ready to rewrite history.
Top performers and roadmap
Afghanistan boasts a well-rounded squad. Rashid Khan, the world’s No. 1 ranked T20 bowler, is a nightmare for batsmen with his leg-spin wizardry. Mohammad Nabi, a veteran all-rounder, provides stability with both bat and ball. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai are capable of providing explosive starts.
Unbelievable things happen if you believe! 💪
A win we are all going to be proud of, this is for all of you who believe in us 💙🇦🇫#T20WorldCup #ICC pic.twitter.com/xX82nT4FGV
— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) June 23, 2024
So far, their best bowler has been Fazalhaq Farooqi who has managed 15 wickets in 5 games, including a 5-fer in the first game of the tournament. Both the top scorer and top wicket-taker of the tournament are from Afghanistan as with the bat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz leads the charts with 238 runs in 6 games, including 3 fifties.
Absolutely right 🙏🏻 https://t.co/sADSiBCMnQ
— Gulbadin Naib (@GbNaib) June 23, 2024
If they go through and finish second to India in the group, they will play either of South Africa or West Indies in the semi final. For similar news from the 2024 T20 World Cup, please always stay tuned to ReadScoops.com…
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