NEW DELHI: Rashid Khan's Afghanistan team secured a historic first-ever T20 World Cup semi-final berth by defeating Bangladesh by 8 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. This victory not only eliminated one of the tournament favorites Australia but also capped off an impressive run for Afghanistan, which included wins over New Zealand and Australia earlier in the tournament.
Rashid's exceptional bowling performance played a crucial role in Afghanistan's triumph, as he bamboozled the Australian batsmen with his crafty deliveries.
Following the match, the Afghan captain took to Instagram to share a photo with his Indian counterpart, Rohit Sharma, accompanied by a witty caption: "Bambai se aaya mera dost [My friend from Mumbai has arrived]," alluding to the fact that both India and Afghanistan had contributed to Australia's elimination.
Afghanistan's victory over Bangladesh in their final Super 8s match secured their spot in the semifinals, making them the second team from Group 1 to advance, following India.
1/8:T20 World Cup: Afghanistan into semi-finals, Australia out
AP
2/8:Historic Semi-Final Entry for Afghanistan
Afghanistan advanced to their first-ever senior world tournament semi-final with a nerve-jangling eight-run victory over Bangladesh at the T20 World Cup on Tuesday that eliminated mighty Australia.AP
3/8:Nerve-Jangling Victory
Amid excruciating tension, captain Rashid Khan and seamer Naveen ul Haq were the heroes as Afghanistan battled through three rain stoppages to secure a famous victory.AP
4/8:Heroic Performances
Defending a modest total of 115/5, Rashid finished with figures of 4-23 while Naveen took 4-26 as Bangladesh were dismissed for 105, chasing a revised target of 114 off 19 overs.AP
5/8:Litton Das' innings
An unbeaten 54 from Bangladesh opener Litton Das (49 balls, five fours, one six) threatened to deny Afghanistan's fairytale win and earn Australia the last semi-final spot.AP
6/8:Man of the Match Naveen-ul-Haq
But pacer Naveen claimed the last two wickets - Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman - off consecutive deliveries to trigger delirious Afghan celebrations and leave a disconsolate Das stranded.AP
7/8:Elimination of Australia
With India defeating Australia and advancing to the second semi-final against England, this result assured the Afghans of second spot in the group and eliminated the Aussies and Bangladeshis.IANS
8/8:Semi-Final Clash
Afghanistan will now face South Africa in the first semi-final in Trinidad on Thursday.AFPThe Indian team had earlier defeated Australia, complicating the latter's qualification chances. Afghanistan's own surprise win over Australia a few days prior had set the stage for this remarkable achievement.
In the memorable match against Bangladesh, Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq spearheaded the Afghan bowling attack, successfully defending a target of 115 runs in a rain-affected game reduced to 19 overs.
Bangladesh, despite their valiant effort, were bowled out for 105, handing Afghanistan an 8-run victory (DLS method) and a place in the final four.
