Afghanistan Disappoints New Zealand to Secure Super Eight Spot

Afghanistan has secured a place in the Super Eight of the ICC T20 World Cup by achieving a big victory over Papua New Guinea (PNG). West Indies had already confirmed their spot in the Super Eight from Group 'C' in the previous match. With West Indies and Afghanistan qualifying for the Super Eight, one of the tournament favorites, New Zealand, has been knocked out. Despite having two matches left, the Kiwis have already been confirmed to exit the tournament.

Afghanistan simplified the Super Eight equation by defeating New Zealand. From the start of the World Cup, Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and the rest of the team have been showcasing dominant performances. In their third match, they restricted PNG to 95 runs and achieved a massive victory by 7 wickets.

Winning the toss and electing to field first, Afghan bowlers showcased their strength by sending PNG to bat. At a team score of 12, PNG’s captain Assad Vala was run out. At 12 runs, PNG lost their first wicket and lost two more wickets without adding any runs. Afghanistan kept taking wickets at regular intervals.

PNG, under pressure, lost 5 wickets for 30 runs. Towards the end, wicketkeeper Kiplin Doriga and Elai Nao put up some resistance but could not avoid being all out. PNG's innings ended at 95 runs, thanks to Doriga’s 27 runs. Among the Afghan bowlers, Fazalhaq Farooqi took 3 wickets, and Naveen-ul-Haq took 2 wickets.

Chasing a small target, Afghanistan stumbled at the start. Ibrahim Zadran was out without scoring any runs. Another opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, departed after making 11 runs. Then, Gulbadin Naib took charge of the innings, supported by Mohammad Nabi. Their partnership led Afghanistan to an easy victory, winning the match with 29 balls to spare and securing their place in the Super Eight. Gulbadin remained unbeaten on 49 runs from 36 balls, and Nabi scored 16 runs from 23 balls.