The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 has witnessed the biggest upset as world champions Australia lost to Afghanistan in a shocking encounter on Saturday, June 22. Australia lost to Afghanistan by 21 runs at Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St. Vincent, in match 48 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Australia, who won the ODI World Cup last year, are among the heavy favorites to win the T20 World Cup 2024. Notably, Afghanistan almost crushed Australia in the ODI World Cup last year, however, a Glenn Maxwell’s impeccable unbeaten double century. he helped the Australians to victory in that game.
Although Afghanistan could not win the match that time, they put up a surprising performance this time. As a result, Australia now has little chance of reaching the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Interestingly, Team India now has the power to displace Australia from the path to the semi-finals.
Also read: “The comeback must always be greater than the setback”: Twitter reacts to Afghanistan’s historic victory against Australia
How can Australia be left out of the T20 World Cup 2024 and Afghanistan qualify for the semi-final?
Now, Australia has two crucial matches to pay attention to. They have their next match against India on Monday, June 24. The match takes place at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. Mitchell March & Co. has to win their match at any cost.
However, this will not be enough for the Australians to secure a place in the semi-finals. Afghanistan should also lose their next clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The Rashid Khan-led team will face Bangladesh on Monday, June 24. The exciting clash will be played at Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown.
Therefore, we can conclude that India and Australia have the power to overtake Australia if they win their next games. It will be a perfect opportunity for team India to avenge their defeat in the ODI World Cup.
India unbeatable in the 2024 T20 World Cup
India has been the most dominant team in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Rohit Sharma & Co. have been unbeaten in the tournament. They qualified for the Super 8 round after topping Group A.
They also crushed Afghanistan by 47 runs in the Super 8 Round and Bangladesh by 50 runs in their previous clash. By defeating Australia, the Men in Blue will also secure their place in the semi-final.
Meanwhile, it was Australia’s first defeat in the T20 World Cup 2024. The T20 World Cup 2021 champions topped the Group B points table earlier to qualify for Super 8. They won their first match against Bangladesh but lost to the Afghan Army .
Afghanistan earlier expelled New Zealand from the tournament
Afghanistan has shown its dominance since the start of the tournament. Rashid Khan was named captain before the tournament. They were part of Group C.
They crushed teams like Uganda, New Zealand and PNG to clinch a spot in the Super 8. Afghanistan lost to India in their first Super 8 game but made a classic comeback to stun Australia.
Now, Afghanistan can also secure their place in the semi-final by beating Bangladesh by a huge margin in their next match.
