In the first Semi-Final 1 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, South Africa will take on Afghanistan at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad tomorrow, i.e., June 27 at 6 AM IST.
How would South Africa feel knowing it’s not A for Australia they are facing but rather A for Afghanistan in the semifinals? SA have had an excellent outing in the ongoing competition, winning seven out of seven games, but will face a unit now that can bowl 16 overs of quality pace or 16 overs of spin, depending on the conditions. Facing such a squad will always be a test of skills and SA are filled with such individuals. Quinton de Kock is the sixth-leading run-getter, with 199 runs, although no other South African batter makes it into the top 15. Importantly, Players such as Reeza Hendricks, skipper Aiden Markram, and Heinrich Klassen have made vital contributions to SA’s success so far. With them, Tristan Stubbs and David Miller have been in excellent form, which has helped the team from the middle overs till the end. With the ball, the excellent lineup, which includes Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee, and Keshav Maharaj, will undoubtedly put pressure on Afghan batters. Over the course of history, the Proteas have only won one knockout game out of nine, therefore the team will aim to make a few adjustments to this record.
The ambitious Afghanistan team has already created history by reaching the knockout round for the first time. However, Rashid Khan‘s team is far from finished. The side that defeated Australia has a good chance of upsetting a couple of additional outstanding teams. However, labelling them as upsets would seem unfair. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have been in the top five run-scorer in the tournament while on the other hand, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid Khan feature in the top five leading wicket-takers.
In an ideal world, one would think that the final would be between South Africa and England/India, but with the kind of momentum Afghanistan are into, it can be well compared with the young Indian team of 2007, which defeated all odds to lift the cup. Talking about the ground conditions, Papua New Guinea were bowled out for 95 on the same track, while even West Indies defended 149 runs, thus, winning the toss and batting first could give a major boost in confidence while later defending.
Head-to-Head:
Both nations have met each other twice in T20 format, with South Africa winning both games.
Where to watch:
TV: Star Sports
OTT: Disney+ Hotstar