Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by a mere eight runs in a low-scoring encounter in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingston, St Vincent. The match took place on Tuesday, June 25. This win ensured Afghanistan a spot in the tournament’s semifinals, where they will take on South Africa on Thursday, June 27.
Afghanistan batted first and could only put up a modest total of 115-5 on the board. It was owned to the sluggish surface and the excellent bowling performance of the Bangladeshi spinners. The latter used the conditions to their advantage. Bangladesh made sure they did not give away too many looseners to the Afghan batters.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, one of the most stylish batters in the Afghan lineup, top-scored for his team on Tuesday with 43, falling short of his half-century by seven runs. Bangladeshi leg spinner Rishad Hossain was the star for his team, picking up three wickets for a mere 26 runs in his quota of four overs.
In general, Bangladesh suffered at the hands of the Afghan bowlers and fielders. It rained for some time, meaning an over was deducted from the Bangladeshi innings. Instead, a revised target of 114 from nineteen overs was set via the DLS method. Still, the Bangla Tigers fell eight runs short of this target.
Opener-wicketkeeper Litton Das, who has been in the firing line of late owing to his poor run of form, led the way for Bangladesh with a brilliant 54 off just 49 deliveries that consisted of five boundaries and one six but found precious little support from the other batters in the side. Towhid Hridoy was the next-highest scorer for Bangladesh with 14 runs.
Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid Khan were the wreckers-in-chief for Afghanistan. They picked up four wickets apiece and sealed a historic semifinal visit for their team. This is the first time the Afghans have gone to this stage in ICC tournaments, which will please them greatly. They will now prepare to take on South Africa on Thursday.
