T20 World Cup 2024, NZ vs AFG: Afghanistan hammered New Zealand by 84 runs to pull off another big upset in the tournament. Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi picked 4 wickets each as New Zealand were outplayed in all three departments in Guyana.
Afghanistan produced a ruthless performance and told the world yet again that they are here to challenge for the T20 World Cup title by crushing former finalists New Zealand in a Group C game. Riding on Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 80 and a superlative bowling show led by captain Rashid Khan, Afghanistan beat New Zealand by 85 runs on a sluggish pitch at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Friday, June 7 (Saturday morning in India). New Zealand were bundled out for 75, their fourth-lowest total in T20 cricket.
It was also Afghanistan’s first-ever win over New Zealand in T20 internationals. Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi were the heroes with the ball as they took four wickets each for Afghanistan after Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s match-winning 80.
It was the second big upset of the T20 World Cup after Pakistan were stunned by co-hosts USA on Thursday in Dallas.
Kane Williamson’s New Zealand looked undercooked in their first match of the T20 World Cup as they were outplayed in all three departments by Afghanistan. From missing catches and stumps to struggling to even put bat to ball, the BlackCaps looked a shadow of their dominant self against an inspired Afghanistan side. In fact, New Zealand’s innings lasted just 15.2 overs as they were handed a huge wake-up call.
New Zealand did not play a warm-up match and most of their top stars missed a tour of Bangladesh to be part of the Indian Premier League. The rustiness was on display on Thursday as the BlackCaps did not get going at all.
T20 World Cup 2024: Points Table
For Afghanistan, who only made their T20 World Cup debut in 2010, back-to-back wins in Group C has put them in a great position to qualify for the next round — the Super 8s. Afghanistan are on top of the Group C points table, placed above co-hosts West Indies. Afghanistan had hammered Uganda by 125 runs in their opening match, which was also played in Guyana.
RUTHLESS AFGHANISTAN SHOOT OUT NZ FOR 75
After having put 159 on the board on a sluggish pitch, Afghanistan always knew that they had enough to trouble the New Zealand batters. And Fazalhaq Farooqi started from where he left a couple of days ago by getting Finn Allen for 0 in the very second ball of the New Zealand innings.
The left-arm seamer, who picked 5 wickets in the game against Uganda, rattled New Zealand with the new ball, picking up the big wickets of Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell. Fazalhaq bowled 13 dot balls in his three-over burst in the powerplay as New Zealad were reduced to 33 for 3 in the first six overs.
