ICC T20 World Cup: Afghanistan Register A Massive 84 Run Win Over New Zealand

Afghanistan and New Zealand locked horns in the ICC T20 World Cup, and the fans were very excited for this game as both teams are filled with quality players, but the encounter turned out to be rather one-sided when New Zealand had no answers for the relentless bowling attack of Afghanistan. Afghanistan registered a total of 159/6 after New Zealand won the toss and decided to bowl first.

The opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran gave Afghanistan a fantastic start, as they both scored 80 (56) and 44 (41), respectively. Azmatullah Omarzai also scored 22 runs off of just 13 bowls and added some crucial runs to the total of the team, but apart from these three, the whole batting lineup of Afghanistan struggled and could not even touch the score of 160 despite a very bright start. Trent Boult and Matt Henry took two wickets each and stopped Afghanistan from reaching the massive total that was projected. 

Afghanistan put on a clinic with bat and ball against New Zealand to continue their winning momentum ????#T20WorldCup | #NZvAFG | ???? https://t.co/v8noS59c1q pic.twitter.com/du3txa6GL0 — ICC (@ICC) June 8, 2024

New Zealand looked like the favorites to win the game before their chase began, and unfortunately, that was the only time they looked ahead in the game. Afghanistan came out all guns blazing and absolutely destroyed the entire batting lineup of New Zealand. The Blackcaps were outplayed to such a degree that only Glenn Phillips (18) and Matt Henry (12) managed to score in double digits. New Zealand could not even play their 20 overs, and we were all out in less than 16 overs at a score of 75. 

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This win marked the first victory for Afghanistan over New Zealand. Fazalhaq Farooqi had a magical spell as he picked up four massive wickets and only gave away 17 runs. He was very dangerous with the new ball, as three out of his four wickets came in the powerplay. Then came Rashid Khan, who proved his quality to the world once again. He displayed another bowling masterclass and picked up four wickets as well. Mohammad Nabi also took two wickets and secured the fate of Afghanistan as the ultimate winner of this contest. 

This win gives immense momentum to Afghanistan, as they have won two out of three games in this tournament and currently sit at the top of Group C. New Zealand, on the other hand, looked clueless and rusty as they were placed at the bottom of the same group. Afghanistan will look to build on its momentum, while New Zealand will be looking to get its campaign back on track.