It was not to be for Afghanistan in the end. Their fairytale journey to an unprecedented World Cup semi-final appearance finally came to an end, with South Africa's clinical demolition job at the Brian Lara Stadium on Thursday (June 27). Check out social media reactions after the one-sided game. (Highlights | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
Once the Afghans were five down in the first five overs of their innings, there was no point of return as the Proteas breathed fire with the ball on a particularly tricky surface for batting.
Even though Rashid Khan and Co fought hard with the ball initially, a partnership between Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks was all it took to crush Afghan hopes.
Their fans were left dispirited, but cricket analysts doffed their hats to the Afghan team for its ground-breaking performances all through the tournament.
South Africa, meanwhile, broke their 32-year-old semi-final jinx to secure a historic win and march into their maiden World Cup (T20 or ODI) final. Legendary Proteas pacer Dale Steyn couldn't suppress his emotions after the team made it to the title clash.
The Proteas will face the victor of the second semi-final clash between India and England, in the fight for the coveted ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy.
