Afghanistan’s dream run in the T20 World Cup 2024 ended sadly today when they lost to South Africa, missing their first-ever final in an ICC event. They exited the tournament after a heavy defeat to South Africa in Trinidad.
But Afghanistan had a great tournament in the Caribbean. They defeated strong teams like New Zealand and Australia on their way to the semifinals.
While they have areas to improve, Afghanistan’s players can be proud of their achievements in this year’s T20 World Cup. Both batsmen and bowlers contributed, with captain Rashid Khan leading the team admirably.
Now, let’s look at the five standout players from Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2024.
1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz
In this T20 World Cup, Afghanistan’s best player has been their wicketkeeper who also bats. He has scored the most runs in the tournament so far, with 281 runs in eight games. His average score is 35.12 runs per game, and he hits the ball at a speed of 124.33. He has scored three half-centuries. In many tournaments, Afghanistan’s batters have not been at the top of the list.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has worked with Ibrahim Zadran at the top of the batting order. When these two players have a strong start together, Afghanistan often wins in the ICC event. The Afghan batting has been carried by these two players, as the middle order has not done well in the tournament.
In two important matches against New Zealand and Australia, Gurbaz scored 80 and 60 runs to help his team win.
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2. Rashid Khan
The captain of Afghanistan is one of the top leg-spin bowlers in short cricket games. He uses many tricky moves and changes his bowling speed well, which sets him apart.
In this T20 World Cup, Rashid Khan showed his skills by leading his team effectively. He took 14 wickets in eight matches, ranking third overall in the tournament.
Rashid has been crucial in the middle overs, bowling economically at 6.17 runs per over, preventing opponents from taking control. He’s a key player for his team and is considered one of Afghanistan’s greatest players ever.
3. Fazalhaq Farooqi
Not every time in a T20 World Cup do you see a player from Afghanistan leading both the batting and bowling statistics. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored the most runs in the tournament, while Fazalhaq Farooqi dominated as the top wicket-taker.
Farooqi, a left-arm fast bowler, took 17 wickets in eight matches with an impressive average of just 9.41. His economy rate of 6.31 was remarkable, especially since he often bowled during the early and late stages of the game.
Farooqi achieved a five-wicket haul against Uganda and followed it with four wickets against New Zealand. He also took three wickets against India, showcasing his skill against strong teams.
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4. Gulbadin Naib
Gulbadin Naib, known for faking an injury during Afghanistan’s final Super 8 game against Bangladesh, was one of their top players in the tournament. He excelled as an all-rounder, contributing with both bat and ball whenever needed.
During the T20 World Cup, Gulbadin bowled just nine overs but took seven wickets at an average of 6.71. His economy rate of 5.22 was one of the best in the tournament. His crucial wicket against Bangladesh helped Afghanistan reach their first-ever T20 World Cup final.
With the bat, Gulbadin scored 90 runs, including an unbeaten 49 against PNG. He also took five important catches during the tournament.
5. Naveen-ul-Haq
Rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in cricket at the IPL has been great for Naveen-ul-Haq. This showed in this year’s World Cup.
Naveen isn’t the typical fast bowler every kid dreams of becoming. However, he has unique talents that make him stand out in T20s. He can bowl what’s needed and keeps things simple.
He ended up as Afghanistan’s third-best wicket-taker in the tournament, with 13 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of six.
With three Afghan bowlers leading the wicket charts, it shows how much they’ve progressed as a team. They’re likely to improve even more in the future.
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