Afghanistan creates history by qualifying for the T20 World Cup semifinals for the first time on Tuesday, June 25, beating Bangladesh in a thrilling match.
Rashid Khan’s playing 11 beat Bangladesh by 8 runs through the DLS method in the last clash of the Super 8 at the Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, St. Vincent.
Batting first, Afghanistan set a target of 116 runs for the opponents in 20 overs.
Bangladesh was bowled out for 105 runs in 17.5 overs while chasing the target of 114 runs in 19 overs due to rain.
Winning captain Rashid Khan after creating history said, “It’s something like a dream for us as a team. It is all about how we started the tournament. The belief came when we beat New Zealand. I have no words to describe my feelings.”
Khan further added, “In our minds, 130–135 was a good total. We were 15-20 runs short. In the end, we spoke about mindset and how they were going to come at us. If we bowl into the stump, we have a better chance of getting them out. We just had to be very clear in our planning and effort. Effort is always there in your hands.”
Rashid asserted, “For the people back home, for their happiness, that was the kind of discussion we had. That made the job easier for us… It is going to be a massive celebration back home.”
