Afghanistan qualified for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 for the first time after defeating Bangladesh in a crucial Super 8 match. This will be Afghanistan’s first appearance in the semi-finals of an ICC tournament.
Afghanistan Rashid Khan and the entire Afghanistan team were happy and excited at this historic moment. After the victory, Rashid Khan wrote a post on social media that caught the attention of viewers.
Watch: Rashid Khan and Jonathan Trott cry as Afghanistan qualify for 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals
‘My friend has come from Mumbai’: Rashid Khan posts on social media
While posting on his Instagram account, Rashid Khan wrote “Bambai se aaya mera dost 😁 Semifinals 😍😍” with a photo of him and Rohit Sharma. He was probably clicked during India’s Super 8 match against Afghanistan in Barbados.
India won that match comfortably by 47 runs. Rashid Khan was excellent in that game as he took 3-26, but his efforts were not enough to win the game for Afghanistan as India’s experience prevailed in the end.
India and Afghanistan are the only Asian teams to have reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024. Players from both countries share a special camaraderie with each other. Rashid Khan himself is a household name in India and a big figure in the IPL.
Afghanistan reaches historic semi-final
Meanwhile, Afghanistan put up a spirited performance in Kingstown, St. Vincent, as they defeated Bangladesh by 8 runs to reach the semi-finals. But it was not an easy victory for Afghanistan as a disciplined Bangladesh bowling attack reduced them to just 115 in 20 overs.
Afghanistan had to put in a top-notch performance with the ball and they achieved it. The bowlers, led by Naveen-ul-Haq, continued to attack at regular intervals. Fast bowlers Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi reduced Bangladesh to 23-3.
Despite frequent rain interruptions and heavy hitting by Litton Das, Afghanistan’s bowlers continued to attack the stumps. With 12 needed off 12 balls and 2 wickets in hand, Naveen-ul-Haq showed the magic of him and cleared Bangladesh’s tail.
Captain Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq picked up four wickets each, while Fazalhaq Farooqi and Gulbadin Naib also contributed one wicket each. With this victory, Afghanistan joined India, South Africa and England in the semi-finals. Australia, for its part, was eliminated.
India continues its unbeaten streak
In the previous match, India maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament by defeating Australia by 24 runs in Saint Lucia. With a good batting pitch, Rohit Sharma delivered a masterclass in T20 batting to smash 92 off just 41 balls.
The bowlers were under the momentum of Travis Head but came back strongly with Arshdeep Singh picking up 3 wickets and Kuldeep Yadav bowling a crucial spell of 2-24.
The first semi-final will be played between Afghanistan and South Africa in Trinidad on June 27, while the second semi-final will see last edition’s semi-finalists, India and England, in Guyana, fighting for a place in the final.
