In the Super 8 T20 World Cup 2024, Bangladesh’s bowlers were able to limit Afghanistan to 115 for five in their crucial match-up on Monday. The leg-spinner Rishad Hossain was particularly effective, taking three wickets for 26 runs. Despite opting to bat first, Afghanistan struggled to score against Bangladesh’s varied attack.
Afghanistan had hoped for a win in this game to secure a spot in the tournament’s semi-finals and eliminate Australia. However, despite a good opening stand, they failed to capitalize on the foundation laid by Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s slow 43 off 55 balls. While Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai managed to reach double digits, the scoring rate was exceedingly slow throughout the innings.
Taskin Ahmed, who was brought into the Bangladesh team for this game, bowled excellently, conceding only 12 runs and taking an important wicket. It was left to skipper Rashid Khan to boost the score with three late sixes, helping Afghanistan reach just over 100 runs. The lack of boundaries in the innings was evident, a problem that plagued Afghanistan’s batting effort.
The playing XIs for the match were as follows: Afghanistan – Rashid Khan (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Nangeyalia Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Naveen ul Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi. Bangladesh – Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Litton Das (wicketkeeper), Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Shakib al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman.