Afghanistan registered a thumping 84-run victory over New Zealand in a Group C match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at Providence Stadium, Guyana on Friday (June 7).
Invited to bat first, Afghanistan posted 159/6 on the board. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the top scorer with 56-ball 80 while his opening partner Ibrahim Zadran made a handy contribution of 44 in 41 balls.
In reply, New Zealand’s innings folded for a paltry 75. It was a listless batting display from the Kiwis as no one even managed to touch the 20-run mark.
While left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi (4-17 in 3.2 overs) ran through the Black Caps top-order inside the powerplay, the spin duo of Rashid Khan (4-17 in 4 overs) and Mohammad Nabi (2-16 in 4 overs) wreaked havoc on their middle and lower-order.
Thanks to their stunning bowling performance, Afghanistan bundled out New Zealand in just 15.2 overs to gain two crucial points. It was Afghanistan’s second successive victory in the ongoing showpiece tournament and they are now heading the Group C points table.
For their clinical performance against the star-studded Kiwi side, Rashid Khan and his men received rich praise from the cricket fraternity on social media platform X.
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