A stand-out performance with the ball helped South Africa blow away the Afghanistan batting and storm into their maiden World Cup final with a nine-wicket win in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024's first semi-final, in Trinidad on Thursday, June 27. (Highlights | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
The remarkable Afghan journey in this edition thus ended with a heart-breaking loss. But Rashid Khan's men can keep their heads held high for going where none of their predecessors have gone.
As for South Africa, the title is now just one win away - against the victor of the second semi-final between the unbeaten India and defending champions England on Thursday evening (8pm IST).
With that, here's a look at the statistical highlights from the RSA vs AFG match.
1. This is South Africa's longest winning streak in T20 internationals - eight, one more than what they had achieved in 2009. In the process, they have also matched Australia's record eight wins on the trot in T20 World Cups, spanning two editions (2022-2024).
2. This is South Africa's biggest winning margin by balls in T20Is, eclipsing the previous record (51 balls against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 2007). Afghanistan, conversely, suffered their biggest defeat by balls remaining in the format.
3. South Africa, thus recorded their first cricket World Cup semi-final win in eight attempts. The 1998 Commonwealth Games gold medallists suffered defeat in their first semi-final appearance in a World Cup in 1992 -- that infamous 22 off 1 revised target -- against England.
It was followed by more semis heartbreaks in the 1999 World Cup against Australia, 2007 World Cup against Australia, 2009 T20 World Cup to Pakistan and 2014 T20 World Cup against India, 2015 World Cup against New Zealand and 2024 Cricket World Cup 2023.
4. Anrich Nortje, who produced a devastating three-over spell for figures of 2/7, is now South Africa's highest wicket-taker in a single T20 World Cup edition -- one more than Imran Tahir (12, in 2014) and his current team-mate Kagiso Rabada (12, in 2024). Tabraiz Shamsi is in contention for this record (11, in 2024).
5. South Africa conceded 13 extras, making it only the second instance of a completed innings at the T20 World Cup where the top contributor was extras. Azmatullah Omarzai was Afghanistan's top scorer (10 off 12).
6. South Africa are unbeaten against Afghanistan. The RSA vs AFG head-to-head now stands 5-0 in favour of the Proteas with the previous four wins also at the World Cups -- T20 World Cup (2010 and 2016) and ODI World Cup (2019 and 2023). For the record, South Africa are one of the only three teams yet to lose to Afghanistan. India and Nepal are the other two teams.
7. Afghanistan, meanwhile, made their lowest score in T20Is. 72 all out in 17.1 overs against Bangladesh at Mirpur in 2014 was their previous low. This was only the seventh instance when the Afghans were dismissed for a total of less than 100 runs in 138 matches.
8. 56 all out is also the lowest total by any team in T20Is against South Africa, beating Sri Lanka's 77 in 19.1 overs earlier in this tournament. The third lowest also belongs to Afghanistan -- 88 all out in 16 overs at Bridgetown in 2010.
9. This is now the lowest total in a T20 World Cup knock-out match. The previous lowest was 101 by the West Indies against Sri Lanka in the 2009 semi-final; intriguingly shared by the Lankans, against the Windies in the 2012 final.
10. Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi, with 17 scalps in eight innings, is now the highest wicket-taker in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. He overtakes Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga, who claimed 16 in 2021. India's Arshdeep Singh (15 in six matches in this edition) can break this record though.
