Afghanistan’s campaign in the 2024 T20 World Cup came to an abrupt end as they were bowled out for a paltry 56 runs by South Africa’s formidable bowling attack at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. This devastating loss marks the lowest total in a T20 World Cup semi-final, surpassing previous records held by Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and England.
The Afghan team’s hapless performance was a far cry from the enthusiasm and excitement that had been building up throughout the tournament. As the team members trudged off the field, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment and frustration. Their hopes of making it to the final were ruthlessly dashed, leaving them to ponder on what went wrong.
The South African bowling attack was relentless, with every bowler making sure to leave no stone unturned in their quest for wickets. The Afghan batsmen, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling to come to terms with the pace and accuracy of the opposition. The ball seemed to zip through the air, leaving the batsmen no time to react.
Rashid Khan in T20 2024 (Via Rashid Khan/Twitter)
As the Afghan innings came to a close, the scoreboard read a dismal 56 runs. It was a staggering total that left even the most optimistic of fans wondering how the team could have collapsed so comprehensively. The previous record for the lowest total in a T20 World Cup semi-final was held by Pakistan, who had managed to score 59 runs against England in 2016. England had scored 61 runs against Sri Lanka in 2012, while New Zealand had managed 61 runs against Pakistan in 2016. Pakistan had also scored 62 runs against Sri Lanka in 2014.
For Afghanistan, this defeat will serve as a harsh reminder of the need to improve their batting performances. They will need to work on their weakness against pace and accuracy to emerge stronger and more confident in future tournaments. Despite this setback, the team can take solace in knowing that they are the latest team to feature in the list of low-scoring totals in T20 World Cup semi-finals.
