Afghanistan Vs Bangladesh, T20 World Cup Super 8 Highlights: Rashid Khan & Co Beat Tigers, Knock Australia Out

Welcome to the highlights of our coverage of the last Super Eights clash of ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by eight runs (DLS) in Kingstown on Tuesday (June 25). After an unprecedented win over Australia last weekend, the Afghans have created history again. A thrilling victory against the Bangla Tigers has taken Rashid Khan's men into their first-ever World Cup semi-finals, and knocked the Aussies out. Catch the highlights of the AFG vs BAN match, right here. (Match Report | Scorecard | Full Coverage)

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Nangeyalia Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Najibullah Zadran, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Ishaq.

Bangladesh: Litton Das (wk), Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanvir Islam, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar.

The temperature will be in the late 20s (degree Celsius) in Kingstown but unfortunately, there is forecast of rain during the match. Remember, Afghanistan will go through to the semi-finals if the match gets washed out, ahead of both Australia and Bangladesh.

Afghanistan and Bangladesh have faced off 11 teams in T20 internationals, and the Afghans have a slight edge in the head-to-head record with six wins as against the Bangla Tigers' five.

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan has won the toss and decided to bat first against Bangladesh.

Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Nangeyalia Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Bangladesh: Litton Das (wk), Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman.

Rashid Khan: "We'd like to bat first. Looking at the conditions here, batting is the best option. This is a proud moment for us being here. We have got the best opportunity to be in the semifinal. We should make sure that we do our basics right and enjoy. Everyone is pumped up. That victory (against Australia) gave us so much energy. Focus is on this game. Same team."

Najmul Hossain Shanto: "I wanted to bowl first. It's an important match for us, we have a little chance, we want to grab this one. We have to be calm and execute our plans. The bowling unit is doing a great job. Important how we bat today. Two changes - Jaker and Mahedi not playing. Taskin and Soumya back into the squad."

Both teams and the umpires have walked out to the middle for the national anthems. Bangladesh's first, then Afghanistan's.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib bowls a disciplined first over, with probing lines and some outswing to go with it. Three runs result. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran watchful at the crease.

Taskin Ahmed has found movement off the deck, just like his new-ball partner Tanzim Hasan Sakib. The Afghan openers hence have not been able to get going, and have survived several plays and misses too. Attritional play underway.

The Afghan opening duo is unseparated after eight overs. The run rate is still around six an over, but the surface is tricky and hasn't allowed easy stroke making.

Rishad Hossain gets Bangladesh the much-needed breakthrough. Ibrahim Zadran holes out to long off and that brings Azmatullah Omarzai to the crease. The run rate has dipped further, so it will be interesting to see Omarzai and Gurbaz's approach from here on.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai have failed to force the pace despite their efforts. With 30 more balls to go and just 80 runs scored, it is time for Afghanistan to accelerate. Bangladesh wouldn't mind this current score.

The Afghans have lost four wickets in 12 balls and their innings seems to be falling apart. Bangladesh bowlers doing most things right, plus holding on to some key catches. The latest to fall is the veteran Mohammad Nabi, and that brings captain Rashid Khan to the crease.

Rashid Khan smashes the last ball of the 20th over for a huge six, and the rain gets heavier in St Vincent and the covers are brought on. Rashid was furious with partner Karim Janat for refusing a second run earlier in the over. Nevertheless, Afghans end with 115 runs on the board. The rain is picking up, so we will know about possible over reduction later. Stay tuned for latest weather updates from the stadium.

If the match stands as a 20-over affair despite the rain, Bangladesh need to chase the 116-run target in 12.1 overs to overtake Australia on net run rate and qualify for the semi-finals. Afghanistan need to win - any margin will do - to advance.

Some good/not so good news from the centre, depending on which team you are supporting. The rain has stopped, and the covers are now off. We will share the start time for Bangladesh innings, as soon as available.

Play resumes as the ground staff dry out the outfield quickly. The Bangladesh innings begins with a bang. Litton Das smashes a six and a four off Naveen-ul-Haq in the first over to set the tone. The ball seems to be coming on to the bat better after the rain. Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz is hit on the knee with a bad bounce off the last ball and walks off the field with the physio. Mohammad Ishaq is the back-up keeper.

With Bangladesh three down for 31 runs, the rain arrives again and the covers are brought back on. Naveen-ul-Haq with wickets off consecutive deliveries and Fazalhaq Farooqi with the first breakthrough. Runs flowing freely, meanwhile. It was all happening in the chase before the interruption. Let's see how long this one lasts.

At this stage, Bangladesh are two runs ahead of the DLS par score after 3.3 overs, which is 29 for 3. But for it to be considered a completed match, at least five overs need to be bowled.

Play is set to resume at 9:13am IST without any loss of overs, as the rain has stopped. Another interruption will lead to a certain truncation of overs, however.

We now have what constitutes a completed game, as five overs are done in the Bangladesh innings. Bangladesh keeping the tempo high, and are ahead of the DLS par score (35 runs). So Afghanistan would not want a washout now, and neither would Bangladesh.

It's all happening! Five Bangladesh wickets have fallen inside nine overs, but they are still keeping their pursuit of semi-final qualification alive. They need 40 runs off 3.1 overs to get there. Afghanistan need a win, and hence, more wickets.

As he has done countless times for Afghanistan, Rashid Khan turns the match on its head with crucial breakthroughs. The Afghan skipper's twin strikes in the 11th over have left Bangladesh seven down, even as rain comes pouring down again. Afghan coach Jonathan Trott seen instructing from outside to 'slow it down', and Gulbadin Naib goes down instantly with an apparent cramp or niggle. Thankfully the rain break is short and players are back on the field again.

Litton Das is the man standing between Afghanistan and the semi-finals. The Bangladesh openers has struck a defiant half-century and is still at the crease alongside Taskin Ahmed. 16 more runs needed off three overs, with two wickets in hand.

Bangladesh need nine runs off eight balls as rain arrives and abates immediately. One wicket in hand as Naveen-ul-Haq sends back Taskin Ahmed in the nick of time.

Naveen-ul-Haq has done it for Afghanistan! The charismatic seamer strikes off back-to-back deliveries in the 18th over to bowl Bangladesh out for 105 runs and enter their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup semi-finals. And in the process, the mighty Australia have been knocked out of the competition!

Naveen-Ul-Haq is the Player Of The Match for his match-winning four-wicket haul, which includes the final two Bangladesh scalps off back-to-back deliveries. Here's what he said after Afghanistan's historic win:

"We have worked so hard over the past few years and we were dreaming and working for this day. I'm lost for words. [On his spell] We always knew that they were going hard in the powerplay to chase the total down in 12.1 overs so we knew we were in the game as long as we kept picking wickets. We had confidence that these wickets are not high-scoring wickets. As long as we don't give easy runs we knew we would have a chance."

This - a maiden World Cup semi-final appearance - is surely the highest point in Afghanistan's 23-year-long international cricket journey. They became an ICC Affiliate Member in 2001, were promoted to Associate Member in 2013 and gained Full Member (Test-playing ) status in 2017. Last year, the Afghans stunned defending champions England and Pakistan before falling short of qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup semis. Not this time, as they are into the knockouts.

Najmul Hossain Shanto: "I think we bowled really well. As a bowling unit we did a lot of good things. But as a batting unit we made some poor decisions specially in the middle overs. Normal plan was first three wickets we go hard, especially in the first six overs, and if we lose early wickets we play normally. But we didn't execute that. Whole tournament we bowled really well, especially Rishad the new guy came and bowled really well, I am really happy for him. As a fielding team we did a lot of good things, took really good catches. As a batting unit we really need to improve a not. Going forward we need to think about our batting. [On the rain delays] It happened but we can't make excuses. Also with the ball getting wet it was coming on nicely so that was a good thing."

Right from the start of their ICC T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, Afghanistan have meant business. They set the tone by demolishing New Zealand by 84 runs in their second group-stage match, then accounted for the mighty Australia (by 21 runs) in the Super Eights, and are now headed to the semi-finals after today's thrilling eight-run win over Bangladesh.

Rashid Khan: "It's a dream for us to be in the semi-finals. The way we started the tournament, the belief came when we beat New Zealand. It's unbelievable. The only guy who put us in the semi-finals was Brian Lara and we proved him right. When we met him at a welcome party, I told him we won't let you down. We thought 130-135 was a good score but we fell 15 runs short. We knew they would come hard at us and we knew that is what we could take advantage of. We didn't need to do anything extra, just be clear in our plans. We wanted to make people back home happy, that was the discussion we had and everyone did a wonderful job. [On the new-ball bowlers] In T20s if you get a good start, it helps us in the middle overs. They have given great starts to us in the whole competition. It makes it easier for us to go harder at the batsmen. They have delivered, they were very clear in their minds. [On the Gulbadin 'injury'] Rain is something not in our hands but mentally we knew we have to play 20 overs and take 10 wickets. That's the only way we could win. But Gulbadin, he had some cramps. But his wicket was invaluable to us. It's a massive celebration back home. It's a big achievement for us as well. We have done that at U-19 level but at this World Cup, I don't have any words to describe the feeling back home. We have to go into the semis with a very clear mind and make sure we enjoy the occasion." 

With that, we come to the end of our coverage of this incredible contest between Afghanistan and Bangladesh. We will be back with live updates from the semi-finals. Until then, goodbye.