TAROUBA – Afghanistan has secured a spot in the Super 8 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating Papua New Guinea.
Afghanistan victory has eliminated New Zealand from the competition.
The crucial Group C match was held at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Tarouba.
Afghanistan chose to field first after winning the toss, setting the stage for their victory.
Batting first, Papua New Guinea faced difficulties against Afghanistan’s tight bowling and set a target of 96 runs. Afghanistan chased this target successfully in 15.1 overs with the loss of only 3 wickets. Gulbadin Naib was the standout batsman with an unbeaten 49 runs. Mohammad Nabi contributed with 16 not out, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai added 11 and 13 runs respectively. Papua New Guinea’s bowlers Eli Nao, Semo Kamya, and Norman each took one wicket.
ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2024
Papua New Guinea’s innings had a shaky start and continued to struggle throughout. Captain Assad Vala was run out for 12 runs, followed by Lega Siaka’s dismissal for a duck. Sese Bau and Hiri Hiri also fell quickly. Kaplan Doriga showed some resistance with a top score of 27 runs, supported by Eli Nao with 13, Tony Ura with 11, and Chad Soper with 9 runs. The team was all out for 95 runs in the final over. Afghanistan’s bowling was spearheaded by Fazalhaq Farooqi, who took 3 wickets, with Naveen-ul-Haq adding 2 wickets and Noor Ahmad 1.
Before this match, Afghanistan had already showcased their strength by winning their previous group matches. They defeated Uganda by 125 runs in their opening game and secured an 84-run victory over New Zealand in the second match.
