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Afghanistan confirmed their place in the Super 8 round of the ICC Men's 2024 T20 World Cup, thumping Papua New Guinea by seven wickets in match number 29 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad on Friday, June 14. This was Afghanistan's third consecutive win in the competition. They had earlier defeated Uganda by 125 runs and New Zealand by 84 runs.
In Friday's clash against Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bowl first. They came up with a terrific effort to bundle out PNG for 95 in 19.5 overs. In the chase, the Asian side lost a couple of early wickets. However, they did not have a big total to challenge them and cruised home in 15.1 overs.
While Afghanistan having qualified for the next round with three thumping wins, they will face much bigger challenges in the Super 8 stage. Having said that, we analyze three reasons why Afghanistan are semifinal contenders at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
#1 Genuine wicket-taking bowlers
Afghanistan's bowling has been exceptionally good in the group stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup. While they faced comparatively easier challenges against Uganda and Papua New Guinea, they also came up with the goods against a strong New Zealand outfit in Guyana, putting up a stellar bowling show.
Afghanistan knocked over Uganda for 58 in 16 overs and then bundled out Kane Williamson and co. for 75 in 15.2 overs. The bowlers carried their momentum into the clash against Papua New Guinea in Trinidad, cleaning up the opposition for 95 in 19.5 overs.
If we look at individual performances, left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi has been in exceptional form. He is the current leading wicket-taker in the competition, with 12 scalps from three innings at a brilliant economy rate of 3.70. The 23-year-old has been near unplayable, registering figures of 5-9 against Uganda, 4-17 against New Zealand and 3-16 versus Papua New Guinea.
Looking at the other bowlers, Rashid Khan has also done a good job, claiming six wickets, while Naveen-ul-Haq (4) and a few others have also chipped in. If Farooqi and co. can carry their bowling form into the Super 8, they would continue to make life tough for the opposition teams.
#2 Afghanistan’s quality in the batting department
While their bowling department has been outstanding in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan also possess a high-quality batting line-up. Aggressive opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the leading run-getter in the tournament as of now, with 167 runs from three innings at a strike rate of 154.62. He smacked 76 off 45 against Uganda and 80 off 56 versus New Zealand.
Ibrahim Zadran has complemented Gurbaz very well at the top of the order. He contributed 70 off 46 in an opening stand of 154 against Uganda. Zadran also chipped in with 44 off 41 in the crucial win over the Kiwis as the Afghanistan openers featured in another 100-plus stand.
Gulbadin Naib guided the chase against PNG with an unbeaten 49 off 36 balls. The rest haven't had much to do since the bowlers have done such a wonderful job for Afghanistan. However, the likes of Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran and even Rashid can all make significant contributions with the willow in hand.
#3 Winning momentum and experience
Afghanistan will take on India and Australia in their first two Super 8 matches in Barbados and St Vincent respectively. While the Men in Blue and the Aussies will be favorites to clinch the contests, Afghanistan will be confident of giving them a tough fight. And if they play to potential, they even have the capability to beat both India and Australia.
Afghanistan are not the same side they were 10 years back. Having gained valuable experience, particularly in T20 leagues across the globe, their players now know how to win games from the toughest of circumstances. The current bunch of players have been playing together for a few years now and look like a really well-settled unit. They have some high-quality match-winners in both batting and bowling.
Apart from experience, Afghanistan will also take plenty of confidence from their superlative performance in the group stage into the Super 8 round. They narrowly missed out on qualifying for the semifinals of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Will they go one step further in the 2024 T20 World Cup? We have to wait and watch.
