Afghanistan triumphed over New Zealand by 84 runs on Saturday in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 in Guyana.
New Zealand, tasked with chasing a target of 160 runs, were bowled out for 75 runs in 15.2 overs, falling 84 runs short. Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan and pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi were instrumental, each claiming four wickets.
Only two New Zealand batters, Glenn Phillips (18 off 18) and Matt Henry (12 off 17), managed to reach double figures.
Reflecting on the win, Rashid Khan remarked, “One of the greatest performances from us in T20I cricket against a big team. It is a great team effort. The way Ibrahim and Gurbaz started again… the wicket was not easy. They did not throw away their wickets in overs 7-10. Great win for Afghanistan and it is a privilege to be leading this side and winning against NZ.”
He added, “Anything around 160-170, with the bowling unit we have, we will give tough competition to the opposition, as long as we hit the right areas consistently. The spinners and especially the seamers, the way Nabi bowled the second over – that gave us a sign the ball was turning. The skill we have as a bowling unit, if we use that, it will be hard for the opposition to score 160.”
Earlier in the day, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl first. Batting first, Afghanistan posted a total of 159-6 in their allotted 20 overs, with opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring 80 runs off 56 balls, including five fours and five sixes. Ibrahim Zadran also contributed significantly, scoring 44 runs off 41 balls. Trent Boult was the standout bowler for New Zealand, finishing with figures of 2-22 in four overs.
Kane Williamson’s New Zealand was playing their first match of the tournament, while Afghanistan had already defeated Uganda in the opener. With two wins in as many matches in Group C, Afghanistan now has one foot in the Super 8 stage of the tournament.
Teams
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Karim Janat, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (w), Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson.
