India emerged victorious against Afghanistan by a convincing margin of 47 runs in the 43rd match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, played at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, India’s opening woes continued as Rohit Sharma fell cheaply once again, dismissed by a left-arm pacer. Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli provided some stability with a 43-run partnership, but both batsmen were dismissed by wily leg-spinner Rashid Khan, putting India on the backfoot.
Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav took charge, stitching together a crucial 60-run stand. Yadav, in particular, impressed with a blazing knock of 53 runs off just 27 deliveries, his second fifty of the tournament. However, India lost wickets in clusters towards the end, finishing their innings at 181/8.
Rashid was the pick of the Afghanistani bowlers, claiming three wickets for just 26 runs. Fazalhaq Farooqi also bagged a three-fer, extending his lead at the top of the wicket-taking charts.
Chasing a challenging target of 182, Afghanistan’s hopes took a significant blow early as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the in-form Rahmanullah Gurbaz with a clever slower ball. Regular wickets at crucial junctures by Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja further dented the Afghan chase. Despite a valiant 44-run stand between Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai, Afghanistan could only manage 134 runs in their allotted overs, falling short by 47 runs.
Bumrah was phenomenal with the ball picking up three wickets for just seven runs. Arshdeep Singh also chipped in with three wickets. The spin trio ably supported the seamers with Yadav chipping in with two wickets, while Axar and Jadeja picked up a wicket apiece.
With this win, India solidified their position at the top of the Super 8 Group 1 table.
Scorecard:
India: 181-8, Overs 20, Suryakumar Yadav 53, Rashid Khan 3/26
Afghanistan: 134, Overs 20, Azmatullah Omarzai 26, Jasprit Bumrah 3/7