New Zealand cricketer Daryl Mitchell grabbed the attention of the fans on social media with his acrobatic effort near the boundary against Afghanistan on Sunday (November 7). The Kiwis were playing their final match of the Super 12 stage in T20 World Cup 2021 when Mitchell pulled off a stunning save near the boundary.
It was a do-or-die match for New Zealand and they couldn't afford to be sloppy on the field. Mitchell showed great commitment in the final over of the Afghanistan innings to stop the ball from going over the ropes.
ALSO READ: T20 World Cup 2021: "Really pleasing outing," Williamson after NZ's 8-wicket win over Afghanistan
New Zealand's Jimmy Neesham bowled a short delivery to Rashid Khan and the Afghanistan batter smashed it towards the mid-wicket. It looked like sailing over the head of Mitchell, but he timed a perfect jump and showed good presence of mind to save a six.
Rashid and his batting partner Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman could go for only two runs and Mitchell saved four runs for his team. The next five deliveries in the over were dots and Afghanistan could only collect two runs in the over.
They posted a total of 124/8 in 20 overs and it was chased down by New Zealand with ease. They won the match by 8 wickets with 11 balls left and qualified for the semi-finals, knocking out Team India.
Here is the video: