Afghanistan edged out Bangladesh in one of the most dramatic ICC Men's T20 World Cup Super 8 matches on Tuesday, June 25, securing a semi-final berth by narrowly crossing the finish line. With this win, they clinched the second spot in Group 1 of the Super Eights, ending Australia's campaign. They now join India, England, and South Africa as the remaining contenders for the World Cup title.
The action started right from the first ball, as opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz narrowly avoided a run-out while attempting a quick single. This set the tone for a thrilling encounter. At one point, Gurbaz lost control of his swing and sent his bat flying into the air, fortunately without harming anyone nearby.
Bangladesh presented a formidable challenge, making it difficult for Afghanistan to score runs and restricting them to just five runs from the first two overs. Rashid Khan played a brief but entertaining innings, hitting three sixes, though he expressed frustration at one point, throwing his bat in anger over a misunderstanding with his batting partner, Karim Janat.
In another instance captured on video, confusion between the batsmen almost led to a run-out, but Bangladesh's fielders failed to capitalize. Despite these moments, Afghanistan's batting struggled to gain momentum, with the top order failing to convert starts into substantial scores. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the top scorer with 43 runs off 55 balls, though his strike rate was a concern.
Unfortunately, Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai's contributions were minimal, while Gulbadin Naib and Mohammad Nabi were dismissed cheaply, denting Afghanistan's hopes of a stronger finish.
Litton Das and Soumya Sarkar elevated the score to 46/3 by the end of the powerplay. Rashid Khan brought himself on and bowled Soumya Sarkar for 10 from his fourth delivery. Rashid further dismissed Towhid Hridoy (14), captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Rishad Hossain, reducing Bangladesh to 80/7.
This sequence included two wickets in successive balls, just before another rain interruption.After the break, Bangladesh's target was reduced to 114 in 19 overs.
However, their hopes of reaching the semi-finals had effectively ended. Despite the ongoing drama, opener Litton Das held firm, finishing not out on 54 even as his batting partners fell around him.
Following their victory, Afghanistan's players received mix reactions from around the world, with fans showing immense support for the Rashid Khan-led team.