In the 14th match of this T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan vs New Zealand. Cricket fans have witnessed yet another twist, Afghanistan pulled off a stunning victory against New Zealand, a team much more experienced and considered superior. This unexpected win has certainly turned heads in the cricketing world.
Afghanistan defeated New Zealand by 84 runs. After Setting a target of 160 runs, Afghanistan’s bowlers dominated the game, dismissing New Zealand for just 75 runs in 15.2 overs. Captain Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi were the stars of the match, each taking 4 wickets and leading their team to an impressive win.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz was recognized with the Man of the Match award for his exceptional innings.
πππ π‘ππ§π’π¬πππ§ ππ’π§! π#AfghanAtalan put on a comprehensive all-round performance to beat @BLACKCAPS by 84 runs and register 2nd successive victory in the #T20WorldCup. π€©
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) June 8, 2024
Congratulations to the Entire Afghan Nation and all the fans around the world. ππ#AFGvNZ pic.twitter.com/PW7YPpHxLF
That Sensible Batting Performance By Afghanistan:
New Zealand won the toss and opted to field, putting Afghanistan in to bat. Afghanistan scored 159 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs. Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz formed a strong opening partnership, adding 103 runs together.
Ibrahim Zadran scored 44 runs off 41 balls, hitting 3 fours and 2 sixes. The first three Afghan batsmen gave the team a solid start, but the rest of the lineup couldn’t capitalize on it to build a big total. Azmatullah Omarzai contributed 22 runs before getting out.
Despite these efforts, New Zealand managed to take wickets at regular intervals, preventing Afghanistan from posting a larger score. Mohammad Nabi was out for a duck, and Rashid Khan managed only 6 runs.
Without solid support from the other end, Gurbaz couldn’t maintain the momentum and was eventually dismissed after scoring an impressive 80 runs off 56 balls, including 5 sixes and 5 fours. Gulbadin also failed to score, leaving Afghanistan with a respectable total.
New Zealand’s Trent Boult and Matt Henry each took 2 wickets, while Lockie Ferguson claimed 1 wicket.
#AfghanAtalan's formidable opening duo, @RGurbaz_21 and @IZadran18 shared two successive 100+ run opening partnerships in their first two games. This achievement makes them the only pair to bring up back-to-back 100+ run partnerships in #T20WorldCup cricket. ππ€©#AFGvNZ pic.twitter.com/CahqcwncdM
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) June 8, 2024
New Zealand all out for 75 runs!!!!
Chasing a target of 160 runs, New Zealand had a very poor start. They lost their first wicket on the very first ball of the innings when Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled Finn Allen for a golden duck. The team then lost their second wicket in the form of Devon Conway on the fourth ball of the third over. Conway scored 8 runs off 10 balls, including 1 four.
The third wicket fell when Daryl Mitchell was sent back to the pavilion by Farooqi on the second ball of the fifth over. Mitchell managed only 5 runs off 5 balls, including 1 four.
On the first ball of the seventh over, New Zealand lost their fourth wicket as Kane Williamson was dismissed. Williamson scored 9 runs off 13 balls with 1 four. Mark Chapman was bowled by Rashid Khan on the first ball of the ninth over after scoring 4 runs. Michael Bracewell also failed to score and was dismissed on the next ball.
Both Finn Allen and Michael Bracewell were out for golden ducks, failing to open their accounts. Six New Zealand players couldn’t reach double figures. Captain Kane Williamson scored 9, Devon Conway 8, Daryl Mitchell 5, Mark Chapman and Mitchell Santner 4 each, and Lockie Ferguson 2 runs. Trent Boult remained not out with 3 runs.
The highest scorers for New Zealand were Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry with 18 and 12 runs respectively. Apart from Rashid and Farooqi, former captain Mohammad Nabi took 2 wickets for Afghanistan.
Four Wickets For Rashid Khan…..
Rashid Khan bowled four overs, conceding just 17 runs and taking four wickets against New Zealand. He dismissed Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, and Lockie Ferguson.Β
Earlier, in the match against Uganda, he had taken the wickets of Bilal Hassan and Henry Ssenyondo on the last two balls of the final over. However, he couldn’t achieve a hat-trick because the Ugandan team was all out before he could bowl another delivery.
Controversy over Rashid Khan’s hattrick…
A hat-trick is recognized when a bowler takes three wickets in three consecutive deliveries in the same match. However, if a bowler takes two wickets in consecutive balls in one match and then takes a wicket on the first ball of the next match, it is not considered a hattrick.
This is because the record of a hattrick does not carry over to the next match. Although Rashid took three consecutive wickets, with two against Uganda and one against New Zealand, it will not be recognized as a hattrick.
In Test cricket, the rule does not apply because there are two innings.
If a bowler takes two consecutive wickets in one inning and then takes a wicket with the first ball of the next innings, it is considered a hattrick. This is because Test matches have two innings.
Afghanistan’s Second Victory: Afghanistan vs New Zealand
Afghanistan won their second game in the tournament. They beat Uganda by 125 runs on June 4th. Then, on June 7th,Β they defeated New Zealand by 84 runs.Β Afghanistan played well in both matches, keeping a strong lead in net run rate also. They now have 4 points in Group C and a net run rate of +5.225, putting them in first place.
Big Tension For the West Indies And New Zealand After Afghanistan vs New Zealand Match.
The fight between Windies and New Zealand has gotten more intense with Afghanistan winning two matches in a row, giving them hope to enter the super-eight.
But the Windies and New Zealand have tough challenges ahead. Every win is really important for them. The match between New Zealand and the Windies on June 13 will decide which team goes to the super-eight, giving a clear idea. Right now, it’s sure that Afghanistan will be in the super-eight from Group C.
What Ken Williamson Said After Defeat?
After losing, Ken congratulated Afghanistan for winning. He also acknowledged that we didn’t have enough time to prepare fully. Now, he emphasized the need to move forward and focus on the upcoming challenges. Afghanistan has surpassed us in every aspect.
Big upsets are happening in the T20 World Cup 2024.
What happens at theΒ T20 World Cup 2024? Big cricket teams are struggling against smaller teams. In the match on June 6, the USA beat Pakistan, surprising the cricket world. But today, Afghanistan caused a big upset by defeating New Zealand convincingly.
This World Cup is showing some tense moments for the well-known teams. It seems like smaller teams are causing major upsets against bigger ones.