Afghanistan will face South Africa in the first semi-final in Trinidad on June 27. The match starts at 6 am IST, which is 8:30 pm local time.
Afghanistan reached the Super 8 for the first time in a T20 World Cup and from there to the semifinals. So far they have defeated teams like New Zealand and Australia and eliminated them from the tournament.
The Afghans have shown enough depth and fight in their team and their victory against Bangladesh was an example of the same. The team has played to its best potential in this tournament so far and captain Rashid Khan said that this victory will inspire a whole generation of cricketers.
Afghanistan have their openers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Rashid Khan in the list of best batsmen and bowlers of the tournament so far. All of them will have a key role in the semifinal against South Africa.
Also Read: SA vs AFG Head-to-Head Records: ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Semi-Final 1
Afghanistan will most likely play the same team that won their last Super 8 match against Bangladesh and qualified for the semi-final. This seems to be your best combination.
Afghanistan Playing 11 vs South Africa – ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Semi Final 1
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)
Gurbaz will open the batting for Afghanistan. So far, he has scored 281 runs in seven matches at an average of 40.1. He will be key for his team with the bat.
Ibrahim Zadran
The right-hander will open with Gurbaz. He has been another key figure in Afghanistan’s batting line-up. So far he has 229 runs in the tournament.
Azmatullah Omarzai
Omarzai, the all-rounder, will occupy position three. Until now he has played the role with bat and ball for his team. He swings the ball forward and is a good cricket batsman.
Gulbadin’s Vice
Another all-rounder that can fit four. He took four wickets against Australia to eliminate them from the tournament. Against Bangladesh he also took a wicket.
Muhammad the Prophet
Nabi, the veteran all-rounder, will occupy the fifth position. He has won against 40 countries in T20I cricket and is on the verge of achieving something special. He will be key in the semifinal against South Africa.
Rashid Khan (C)
The boss can enter at six. He scored 19 off 10 crucial balls against Bangladesh and picked up four off 23. He has so far taken 14 wickets in the tournament.
Najibullah Zadran
The batsman has batted in various positions and has ranked eighth in this T20 World Cup. The left-hander scored 1830 runs in 107 T20Is for Afghanistan.
Karim Janat
The pace bowling all-rounder can fit in at eight. He scored seven off six balls in the match against Bangladesh, but was not used with the ball.
Naveen-Ul-Haq
Naeen will come in at nine. He has taken 13 wickets in the tournament so far and took the last wicket to lose against Bangladesh. He will have a showdown against Quinton de Kock.
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Farooqi will lead the attack. He is the highest wicket-taker in this tournament so far with 16 wickets in seven games at an average of 9.31, including a fifer.
Noor Ahmed
Noor concludes Afghanistan’s probable XI. He managed only 14 in his stint against Bangladesh. He has been a good backup to the team’s senior bowlers.
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