In a stunning upset at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan clinched victory over Australia by a margin of 21 runs, altering the landscape of qualification in Group 1. This win positioned Afghanistan strongly to secure their first-ever spot in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, while Australia faces uncertainty moving forward.
Afghanistan’s dominance and Australia’s challenges
Electing to bowl first after winning the toss, Australia aimed to exploit a pitch where teams batting first had struggled. Despite a slow start, Afghanistan’s opening duo Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran forged a formidable partnership of 118 runs. However, Pat Cummins’ historic hat-trick sparked a collapse, restricting Afghanistan to 148/6 by the end of their innings.
In response, Australia’s chase faltered early with Travis Head departing for zero and Mitchell Marsh continuing his poor form. While Glenn Maxwell’s resilient 59 kept Australia’s hopes alive, wickets fell at regular intervals. Gulbadin Naib’s exceptional bowling figures (4/20) sealed Australia’s fate as they were dismissed for 127 runs, marking a crucial defeat.
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Australia’s path to qualification
Following their loss to Afghanistan, Australia find themselves in a precarious position. To secure a spot in the semifinals, Australia must defeat India in their upcoming match on June 24 in St. Lucia. Additionally, they require Bangladesh to defeat Afghanistan in their clash. Despite a current net run-rate of 0.223, Australia’s qualification hopes hinge on these outcomes.
Afghanistan’s route to the semifinals
Buoyed by their strong performances, Afghanistan now seek to capitalize on their momentum. They must overcome Bangladesh and hope for India to defeat Australia to cement their place in the semifinals. Alternatively, if they lose to Bangladesh, Afghanistan must win convincingly and rely on India to restrict Australia, improving their current net run-rate of -0.65.
