Afghanistan Create Unwanted Record Losing 5 Wickets Inside Powerplay Overs in a T20 World Cup Semi-final

T20 World Cup 2024 Semi-final: South Africa against Afghanistan (AP)

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan won the toss and opted to bat first against South Africa in their 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final at the Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba in Trinidad on Thursday.

Both teams are unchanged from their last matches with the Afghans relieved that key opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz has recovered sufficiently from a leg injury which kept him off the field in the pulsating final minutes of the narrow win over Bangladesh on Monday night in St Vincent to reach a first senior World Cup semi-final.

T20 World Cup 2024 Semi-final: South Africa vs Afghanistan – LIVE

After the end of the first six overs, the powerplay overs, the Proteas had taken sent half the Afghanistan side back into the dugout.

Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada shared the wickets between themselves.

Here is how the Afghanistan wickets fell:

0.6 – Marco Jansen to Rahmanullah Gurbaz: OUT! Jansen strikes in the very first over and the dangerous Gurbaz falls cheaply! He bowls a genuine half-volley on a fuller length as the batter prods ahead to drive it through covers but pushes hard at it and plays it inside the line and the ball takes a thick outside edge that carries straight to Reeza Hendricks stationed at the second slip.

2.3 – Marco Jansen to Gulbadin Naib: OUT! BOWLED! Jansen from over the stumps lands it on a length, just around off as the ball skids and comes through quickly into the batter. Naib is caught off guard and gets trapped on the crease as he looks to play across the line of the ball. The delivery beats the inside edge and rattles the stumps.

3.1 – Kagiso Rabada to Ibrahim Zadran: OUT! Rabada starts off right on the money, lands it on middle and leg on a good length. The delivery jags back a bit as Zadran plays it all over the line of the ball hopping on the back foot and leaving a huge gap between the bat and the pad. The ball sneaks through the defence and breaks into the stumps.

3.4 – Kagiso Rabada to Mohammad Nabi: OUT! Rabada gets his second wicket now. he bowls it at 142 kph, fuller in length and angling on the stumps from the channel of off. Nabi is drawn forward to defend it but plays it over the line of the ball reading the movement late. The ball sneaks through the bat and the pad and goes into the stumps.

4.6 – Marco Jansen to Nangeyalia Kharote: OUT! Jansen gets his third wicket as he bowls it short and angles it down the leg side. Kharote stands still and looks to pull it away but it is too close to play that shot and as a result, misses to connect. The ball brushes off his glove and carries behind the stumps as Quinton de Kock moves to his right and takes a good catch.

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