Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan expressed his delight after his team secured a monumental victory against Australia in the T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight clash. The 21-run win marked the first time Afghanistan had ever defeated Australia in a T20 World Cup match, injecting renewed hope into their semi-final aspirations.
“Massive win for us as a team and as a nation. Great feeling. It’s something we missed in last two years. Really happy with the win and super proud of the guys,” Rashid stated during the post-match presentation. He attributed the victory to the team’s depth of all-rounders, a quality that allowed them to overcome challenges throughout the tournament.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran provided a strong start with half-centuries, setting a target of 148 for 6. However, Gulabdin Naib emerged as the match-winner, delivering a career-best bowling performance of 4/20 to restrict Australia to 127 in 19.2 overs.
“140 was a good total on this wicket. We didn’t finish as well as we should have. Opening partnership gave us best start. On this wicket, anything 130-plus, we were capable of defending it as long as we kept calm and had the belief. That’s the beauty of this team, having all-rounders and having options,” Rashid added.
Naib’s impactful bowling display earned him the Player of the Match award. “The way Gulbadin bowled today – the experience he has, it came good today. The way Nabi started – the wicket of Warner – was also pleasing to see. It’s so important for us back home and around the world. I’m sure they’re proud and would’ve enjoyed the game,” Rashid said, highlighting the significance of the victory for Afghan fans globally.
Naib, reflecting on the long-awaited win over Australia, expressed hope for a new chapter for the team. “We were waiting for a long time. Great moment for me, my nation, my people… Thanks to our fans for supporting our cricket journey. We worked hard for the last 2 months, and the result is in front of you,” he said. “We beat Australia at last! It is a great achievement for Afghanistan cricket, our history isn’t too much. So, this is a great achievement. We played great cricket in the last World Cup, and this year we beat New Zealand in the group stage. Our journey starts now. We have great management and I’m very fortunate to have this team. Every game is important, we will rest tomorrow and think about it.”
Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh acknowledged the team’s subpar performance. “They probably got 20 too many. Lot of teams have bowled first in this tournament. Don’t think it was won or lost at the toss. We had an off night on the field. Wasn’t the easiest of wickets but both teams played on it. As I said, we got outplayed today. We just need to win and there’s no better team to do it against.” The defeat leaves Australia needing to win their remaining Super Eight matches to secure their semi-final berth.
