Afghanistan secured their maiden World Cup semifinal spot as they defeated Bangladesh (8 runs) in their final Super 8 fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. In their knockout clash of the tournament, they will be up against South Africa on Thursday, June 27. Afghanistan, under the leadership of Rashid Khan, registered some of the most notable wins in the current season.
Afghanistan’s greatest wins in history
Now that the South Asian team is set to play their first-ever World Cup semifinal, let’s have a look at some of their most notable wins in cricket history.
91-run win over Sri Lanka in 2018 Asia Cup
Afghanistan took down Sri Lanka in the 2018 Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi by a huge margin of 91 runs. In the game, Afghanistan batted first and posted a total of 249 runs, owing to a fantastic 72-run knock from Rahmat Shah. The bowlers did rest of the damage and bundled out their counterparts for 158. Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman picked two wickets each.
69-run historic win over England in 2023 ODI World Cup
The South Asian team registered their first-ever win over England in ODI cricket by dominating them by a margin of 69 runs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a knock of 80 runs and built a century partnership with Ibrahim Zadran. Later, Ikram Alikhil posted 58 runs and helped Afghanistan post 284 runs. In response, only Harry Brook managed to play a decent knock (66) as England got bundled out at 215 runs, leading to Afghanistan’s 69-run win.
Thumping Pakistan by eight wickets in ODI World Cup 2023
Afghanistan went on to create another big upset in the ODI World Cup 2023 shortly after they defeated England. Hashmatullah Shahidi and Co. beat Pakistan by the margin of eight wickets. Batting first, Pakistan put up 282 runs on the board with the loss of seven wickets. In return, the Afghan openers went all guns blazing and had an opening stand of 130 runs between Ibrahim Zadran (87) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65). Afghanistan chased the target and scored 286 runs with the loss of just two wickets in 49 overs to record another remarkable win.
Defeating New Zealand by 84 runs in T20 World Cup 2024
Afghanistan recorded one of their biggest wins in the World Cup 2024 by dominating New Zealand by a margin of 84 runs. This was Afghanistan’s first victory against New Zealand in T20 Internationals. Batting first, Afghanistan posted a 160-run target for their Kiwi counterparts. In return, the Black Caps had a horrid start. They were once reduced to 28-3 within five overs. Despite several attempts and hopes, New Zealand couldn’t recover from the damage and were eventually bowled out for 75-10 with 28 balls in hand.
Epic 21-run win over Australia in T20 World Cup 2024
Afghanistan wrote history on June 22, 2024, by defeating Australia by 21 runs in the T20 World Cup 2024. With the win, the South Asian team not only increased their chances of qualifying for the semifinal stage but also avenged their heartbreaking 3-wicket loss in the 2023 World Cup. After having called to bat first, Afghanistan posted a 149-run target for their rivals. In response, Australia tried to come up with a powerful knock but failed miserably. Gulbadin Naib’s 4-wicket haul as well as Naveen ul-Haq’s three-wicket spell folded the Aussies at 127, leading to Afghanistan’s epic 21-run win.