Afghanistan vs Papua New Guinea T20 World Cup 2024 Highlights :
Afghanistan defeated Papua New Guinea by 7 wickets, thanks to an outstanding bowling performance from Fazalhaq Farooqi, guaranteeing their place in the T20 World Cup Super 8 round. Despite an early blow from PNG’s bowlers, Gulbadin Naib led Afghanistan to victory with an undefeated innings of 49 runs while chasing a modest goal of 96 runs. Farooqi claimed 3/16 as Rashid Khan’s men bowled PNG out for a pitiful 95 runs earlier. Noor Ahmad took significant wickets late in the game after considerable resistance from PNG’s batters, while Naveen-ul-Haq also claimed two wickets.
Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea played in Group C at Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, with Afghanistan winning the toss and opting to bowl first. Afghanistan qualified for the Super 8 after winning match number 29 and topping the group with a strong net run rate. In their last league match, Afghanistan will now go to St. Lucia to take on the formidable West Indies, while a few months later, PNG will play New Zealand at the same location.
Ireland and co-hosts USA will play a pivotal Group A match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. While USA hopes to cement their spot in the Super 8 with another victory, Ireland will be keen to register their first points. The start time of this game is set for Friday, June 14 at 2:30 PM GMT (or 8 PM IST).
The captain of Afghanistan, Rashid Khan, expressed his happiness at moving on to the next round and gave gratitude to his squad for making things simpler because they know what to do and how to carry out their strategies. He complimented Farooqi for his efforts with the ball and underlined the value of having a guy like Rahmanullah Gurbaz who can get things going right away. In an effort to help the players adjust to the circumstances in St. Lucia against the West Indies, Rashid also emphasized the advantages that players have had by participating in local competitions back home and having franchise cricket experience. F1 Canadian Grand Prix
Assad Vala, the captain of Papua New Guinea, acknowledged the strength of Afghanistan and noted that they were under a lot of strain after losing four vital wickets to run-outs. He said that every side has faced difficulties and underlined the importance of saving wickets and scoring runs in the latter stages. Although he acknowledged that his bowlers did not take full advantage of the openings they provided, he still praised them for keeping tight lines and lengths. Vala stated in closing that they must overcome the difficulty of getting experience against quick bowlers.
Player of the Match went to Fazalhaq Farooqi because of his excellent bowling effort. He conveyed his happiness at being a part of the squad and complimented the Afghan people on the team’s advancement to the Super 8 round. Farooqi stated that he is capable of controlling his body and that all it took to get into rhythm was one practice match. He placed a strong emphasis on playing to his strengths, keeping things straightforward, and trying to take wickets while the ball is swinging in order to reduce runs when bowling accurately. He concluded by saying that they always try to give their all and will keep doing so in the following match.
Afghan bowlers came out swinging at the beginning of the game, destroying PNG’s top order early in their innings. With two wickets in his opening over, Farooqi was the most lethal, leaving PNG at 17/4. In addition, Naveen-ul-Haq claimed crucial wickets that helped the side win. Four run-outs dealt PNG more damage, and they were eventually bowled out for a meager total. Alei Nao and Kiplin Doriga put up a respectable 38 runs apiece, but PNG was unable to achieve more than three figures.
Afghanistan had an early test in the chase when both of their openers were out in quick succession, but Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib made sure they didn’t give up. With the important contribution of Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan won handily.
Alei Nao and Semo Kamea in particular, who bowled tight lines and lengths in the beginning, helped PNG’s bowlers protect a low score by giving up too many extras. Alei Nao quickly joined Semo Kamea in his attempt to remove Zadran from the game. PNG could have been more successful if Kiplin Doriga hadn’t blown a simple opportunity off the bat of Gulbadin.
PNG’s hopes were momentarily revived when Norman Vanua delivered a masterful delivery that ended the alliance. They struggled to exert pressure in the middle overs, though, and their low total ensured that it would always be difficult to turn the game into a true tussle. Still, the team from this maritime nation learned a great deal from their passionate endeavor.
After winning three straight, Afghanistan qualified for the Super 8! After handily defeating Papua New Guinea, the men in blue had already conquered Uganda and New Zealand. This victory was significant for them. Afghanistan had won spectacularly, but at this point it was a significant learning experience for PNG. As a result, New Zealand, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea are eliminated from this year’s T20 World Cup, with Afghanistan and the West Indies emerging as the two sides from Pool C that will advance to the Super 8.
