It was a big day for Afghanistan cricket. They made history by reaching their first-ever semi-final in any World Cup. They beat Bangladesh in a crucial match at Arnos Vale in St Vincent. This achievement is remarkable considering the challenges Afghanistan faces every day.
Their win over Australia was especially satisfying after their disappointment in the ODI World Cup. With victories over Australia and Bangladesh, Afghanistan became the final team from the Super 8 stage to qualify for the semi-finals.
Afghanistan used to struggle in international cricket, but now they’re proving themselves against top teams in white-ball cricket. Despite their batsmen not performing well against Bangladesh, their bowlers defended a low score of 114 with great skill.
The match was very close, and Afghanistan showed brilliance to win in the end. Gulbadin Naib’s performance stood out, making it one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history.
Let’s explore the five most dramatic matches in the history of the Men’s T20 World Cup:
5. Australia vs Pakistan, 2010 T20 World Cup semi-final
Until the last three overs of the game, Pakistan had been in control and seemed likely to reach the final. But Mike Hussey played an incredible innings for Australia in those final overs. He scored quickly and turned the game around.
Earlier, Pakistan had scored 191 runs, thanks to good batting from the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar. It looked like Pakistan would easily defend this total.
But Australia struggled, reaching only 144 runs with seven wickets down by the 18th over. It seemed like they had no chance to win. However, Mike Hussey refused to give up. He played aggressively against Saeed Ajmal. Needing 18 runs from the last over, Hussey hit three sixes and a four, leading Australia to victory with one ball left to spare.
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4. South Africa vs Nepal, 2024 T20 World Cup
For those who don’t usually watch cricket, this match might be surprising. Nepal, a smaller team from Asia, almost beat a strong South African team in the T20 World Cup. South Africa had won all their previous matches in the tournament.
South Africa had won their way into the Super 8 stage with four straight victories in the group stage. But in their last group match against Nepal, a team playing only their second T20 World Cup, South Africa struggled. They managed to score just 115 runs in their 20 overs, which was below their usual performance.
Nepal played well, especially up until the 14th over, with Aasif Sheikh and Anil Sah building a strong partnership that troubled the South African bowlers. Nepal’s players hit some powerful shots that brought them closer to victory. However, South Africa’s experience showed as they fought back strongly and eventually won the game by just one run.
3. West Indies vs England, 2016 T20 World Cup final
This match might be remembered as one of the greatest in the history of 20-over cricket. Thanks to a powerful performance by Carlos Brathwaite, West Indies won their second T20 World Cup by defeating England in the 2016 final.
Joe Root scored fifty runs and Jos Buttler also contributed well, helping England reach a competitive total of 155 runs in their 20 overs.
Despite England’s bowlers performing strongly for most of the match, the game took a dramatic turn in the last over. With West Indies needing 19 runs to win, Ben Stokes, England’s bowler, faced four consecutive sixes, leading to a historic victory for the Windies.
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2. India vs Pakistan, 2022 T20 World Cup
Virat Kohli, a skilled player in cricket today, showed his best skills during India’s first match in the 2022 T20 World Cup against rival Pakistan. Alongside Hardik Pandya, Kohli led a strong partnership that helped India win in the last over.
India started well by limiting Pakistan to a low score of 159, thanks to excellent bowling by Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya. At halftime, India seemed in control. But Pakistan fought back hard, quickly dismissing Indian batsmen, leaving India struggling at 31/4 after seven overs.
Despite the tough situation, Kohli and Pandya built a remarkable partnership. With 28 runs needed off just 8 balls, it looked grim for India. However, Kohli changed the game by hitting consecutive sixes off Haris Rauf in the final over.
In a dramatic final over, a controversial waist-high no-ball and subsequent free hit, even though Kohli was bowled, favored India. Ravichandran Ashwin then hit a crucial boundary on the penultimate ball to secure India’s victory.
1. Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 2024 T20 World Cup
Afghanistan had defeated Australia in their previous match and needed to beat Bangladesh to reach their first-ever World Cup semi-final. Rashid Khan chose to bat after winning the toss, despite the challenging Arnos Vale pitch where they had recently won against Australia.
The Afghan openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, started cautiously. But as they tried to score quickly, the pitch became tricky. They managed to score only 115 runs, which was lower than expected.
Bangladesh began their innings well, with Litton Das scoring quickly. However, Fazalhaq Farooqi from Afghanistan soon started taking wickets. Bangladesh kept losing wickets regularly. Despite rain interruptions during the game, Afghan bowlers stayed composed. Naveen-ul-Haq took the last two wickets, securing Afghanistan’s first-ever semi-final spot with an eight-run victory.
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