TRINIDAD: Afghanistan has underlined their growing status as the dark horses of the 2024 T20 World Cup with a seven-wicket win over Papua New Guinea today to advance to the Super Eight stage of the competition and send the Black Caps crashing out.
Fazalhaq Farooqi has added another three victims to his tournament-leading wicket total as Papua New Guinea were bundled out for 95 off 19.5 overs batting first in the Group C clash at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.
Afghanistan side stumbled early in reply, losing both openers cheaply for the first time in the mega event but eventually reached the target for the loss of 3 wickets in the 16th over for a third victory in a row.
Gulbadin Naib, dropped on 9 by wicketkeeper Kiplin Doriga off medium-pacer Alei Nao, took his side to the target with an unbeaten 49 in an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 46 with Mohammad Nabi. Afghanistan finished on 101-3 off 15.1 overs.
The result confirms Afghanistan’s position, together with West Indies, in the next phase while at the same time eliminating the Black Caps.
Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi led another impressive Afghan bowling effort, taking two wickets following PNG skipper Assad Vala unintentionally opened the door for his challengers when he was carelessly run out in the 2nd over of the match.
Two more run outs followed and Fazalhaq Farooqi returned in the 19th over to claim another scalp to end with three for 16 before a 4th run out ended the innings.
Fazalhaq Farooqi now has 12 wickets in the mega tournament, four more than the South African Anrich Nortje, Alzarri Joseph of the West Indies and Australian Adam Zampa.
