Players.bio is a large online platform sharing the best live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, Golf, Rugby, Cricket, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA, plus the latest sports news, transfers & scores. Exclusive interviews, fresh photos and videos, breaking news. Stay tuned to know everything you wish about your favorite stars 24/7. Check our daily updates and make sure you don't miss anything about celebrities' lives.
:Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup with a dramatic eight-run victory over Bangladesh under the Duckworth Lewis System in St Vincent on Monday, joining India as the qualifiers from Group 1 and sending Australia home.
On Tuesday, Afghanistan experienced their most important day in their cricket history so far. The team led by Rashid Khan defeated Bangladesh to knock out Australia and qualify for the first time ever in a T20 World Cup semi-final. However, there was one incident that seemed to mar the whole occasion for Afghanistan. It happened when Gulbadin Naib dramatically fell on his back, clutching his thigh after Trott signalled his players to slow things down.
Following his side's eight-run defeat against Afghanistan in the Super Eights match of the T20 World Cup 2024, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said that they made poor decisions while batting in the middle overs. Najmul Hossain Shanto displayed a poor performance in the second innings of the match. He scored 5 runs from 5 balls at a strike rate of 100.00. The Bangladesh skipper just slammed 1-four during his time on the crease. Speaking after the match, Shanto said that their plan was to go hard in the first six overs of the second innings. He also accepted that the middle order of Bangladesh's batting lineup failed to execute.
Skipper Rashid Khan believes that Afghanistan's maiden T20 World Cup semifinal qualification, following spectacular wins over New Zealand and Australia along the way, is a momentous feat that will inspire the youth of the strife-torn nation. Afghanistan, who became a full ICC member only in 2017, scripted history by qualifying for their maiden T20 World Cup semifinal with a win over Bangladesh. "I think the semi-final is going to be a massive, massive like inspiration for the youngsters back home in Afghanistan. That Afghanistan team get into the semis for the first time," Rashid said at the post match press conference.
Not just another fairytale, Afghanistan's rise in world cricket has arguably been unparalleled. They only became full members of the International Cricket Council in 2017, and in 2024, the team booked its passage into the semi-finals of a World Cup (T20) for the first time. Often dubbed as minnows or underdogs in major events, Afghanistan produced some eye-opening performances this T20 World Cup, especially against New Zealand and Australia, to reach as far as the semi-finals. While a big chunk of credit goes to the players for stepping up their game and delivering when it mattered the most, India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have also played a major role in their rise.
One of the greatest batters of all time, David Warner's international career ended on a bitter note after Australia failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals, exiting in the Super 8 stage. For Australia to continue their journey in the tournament, they needed Bangladesh to beat Afghanistan in the final Super 8 match on Monday. Though the Bangla Tigers came close, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq and others stepped up at crucial intervals to knock the Aussies out of the tournament with a win.
The Proteas and Afghanistan will clash in the first T20 World Cup semi-final in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday morning (02:30 SA time), while India and England will contest the second knockout in Guyana.
India marched into the T20 World Cup semi-finals on Monday after skipper Rohit Sharma's blistering 92 set up their 24-run victory over Australia, who are now on the brink of elimination.