AFG VS BAN T20I

And then there were four! It has been a long and humdinger of a tournament but we now know the four teams that will battle it out in the knockout phase of the competition. It will be South Africa taking on an upbeat Afghanistan in the first semifinal at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad on Thursday 27 June at 6 am IST (12.30 am GMT). Then, it will be a repeat clash of the semifinal from the last T20 World Cup where the reigning T20 World Champions England will take on an unbeaten Indian side at the Providence Stadium in Guyana also on 27 June but that game will begin at 8 pm IST (2.30 pm GMT). You can join us for the early build-up for both those matches but till then, take care and goodbye!

Rashid Khan, the skipper of Afghanistan says that it's like a dream for them as a team. Says the belief came when they defeated New Zealand. Says he is out of words to describe the emotions. Mentions that he thought they were 10-15 runs short but also says that 115 was the best score on this track. Further adds that they knew Bangladesh would come hard against them and that they needed to be clear with the execution of plans. States they put in that requisite effort. Also says that rain is not in their control but they gave their 100% on the field. On Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen's bowling, he says if you have a strong base in bowling, it gives a good advantage and opportunity to attack in the middle overs. Then goes onto appreciate Naveen and Farooqi saying they are skillful and he is very happy with the way they delivered. Says it is a great achievement for them. They reached the Under 19 semifinals as before so it is a special win for them and the country will be proud of them. Ends up by saying that now they will have to go with a clear plan for the semis.

Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh says that they bowled really well but as a batting unit, they made some poor decisions, especially in the middle overs, and that cost them. Adds that the plan was to go hard till losing three wickets and then it was just about getting the win. Mentions that throughout the tournament they bowled well and lauds the likes of Rishad Hossain and the pacers and even the fielders but adds that going forward, they need to think about their plans with the bat. Mentions that with the rain stopping play can be frustrating but the ball also gets wet and comes on nicely to bat and it was just about the batters not executing well enough.

Naveen-ul-Haq is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his sensational bowling at the top and at the backend as well. He begins by saying that they had been dreaming for the past few years about this day and says that he is at a loss for words to describe the feeling. Adds it is a very special moment for them as a team and as a country. He further adds that they knew Bangladesh was going to come hard in the powerplay to chase it down in 12.1 overs and says that they needed wickets inside the first six. Also adds that these are the kinds of games where you don't know what is going to happen and the margin of error is very small. But also says that they knew if they don't give away easy runs, they will be in the game. Ends up by saying they worked very hard for this day and are looking for a good semifinal performance.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Rashid Khan opted to bat first on a used pitch, the exact one on which they beat the Aussies in the last game and once again, the duo of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran was able to put on a stand at the top. It wasn't a brisk one and neither of them could convert it into a big score this time around. Bangladesh fought back hard with the ball and managed to pick up wickets along with keeping runs to a minimum and it was the leggie Rishad Hossain who was the star as he picked up three wickets. Afghanistan huffed and puffed but skipper Rashid Khan managed to put away a couple of balls into the crowd at the death and that virtually got them the win.

Needing 115 to win initially, Bangladesh needed a special start as they needed to gun down the target in 12.1 overs if they were to qualify for the semifinals but they kept on losing wickets early on. They had to stop-start their innings on a few occasions as well but after the first 7-8 overs where they really pushed the envelope, they fell flat as they had lost too many wickets and focused on just getting the win. Litton Das who hasn't been in the best of forms in the last year or so was the only one who showed grit and determination. Das hit a stellar half-century and took his side to the brink of victory but simply couldn't hog the strike as much as he needed to and numbers 10 and 11 fell on successive deliveries leaving Das stranded at the other end. This is only the second time that a batter has carried his bat in a losing cause in the T20 World Cup.

One of the most epic matches you will ever witness in a World Cup and this game had everything except a Super Over. We had three, no, four rain stoppages, the DLS method also came in but eventually, it was Afghanistan who prevailed in this game and will face South Africa in a bid to play in the Grand Finale. Defending a meager total of 114 runs, Afghanistan needed early wickets and it was yet again Naveen-ul-Haq who stepped up and took the bull by its horns and picked up back-to-back wickets in the third over. After the Powerplay, Rashid Khan weaved his magic and bowled four stellar overs, picking up four wickets and that put his side on top of proceedings. Noor Ahmad and the others bowled economically but it was just slipping out of their grasp with 2 overs to go. And yet again, Naveen bowled the crucial penultimate over and picked up back-to-back wickets yet again to seal the most memorable win for his side in their history which is what we said in the last game when they beat Australia but such is the nature of this win that this win edges even the last game.

AFGHANISTAN HAVE DARED TO DREAM AND HAVE TURNED A NEAR IMPOSSIBLE DREAM INTO REALITY! Afghanistan storm into their first-ever T20 World Cup semifinal and this is their first semifinal at the senior level at any World Cup and they have knocked the reigning ODI World Champions, Australia out of the competition. The sheer delight on the faces of the Afghan players, coaching staff and fans alike is a sight to be seen and the players storm the pitch in celebration. As for Bangladesh, they were in with a real chance but have ended up finishing winless in the Super Eight stage of the competition.

OUT! LBW! AFGHANISTAN HAVE DONE IT! THEY HAVE TURNED THE TABLES UPSIDE DOWN FROM HAVING BACKS AGAINST WALL! They came, they dreamt, they executed and they got the desired result! They defeated the Kiwis, executed an audacious heist against the Aussies and now they are through by defeating Bangladesh in the most historic manner! The celebrations begin from Kabul to Kandahar as Afghanistan advances to the semifinals for the first ever time in the T20 World Cup history. A glorious day for Afghanistan cricket. Naveen-ul-Haq spears in a fuller-length delivery which angles back into the batter from the off stump line, Mustafizur Rahman is rooted in the crease and is trapped on the front foot and gets beaten on the inside edge. The ball takes the whisker of the inside edge and pings his front pad. Mustafizur Rahman goes upstairs. UltraEdge comes up and shows that there's no nick when the ball passes through the inside edge. Ball Tracking confirms three reds. OUT it is and Afghanistan creates history by winning this game by 8 runs by DLS method and this means, Australia is officially eliminated from this ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

OUT! LBW! AFGHANISTAN HAVE DONE IT! THEY HAVE TURNED THE TABLES UPSIDE DOWN FROM HAVING BACKS AGAINST WALL! They came, they dreamt, they executed and they got the desired result! They defeated the Kiwis, executed an audacious heist against the Aussies and now they are through by defeating Bangladesh in the most historic manner! The celebrations begin from Kabul to Kandahar as Afghanistan advances to the semifinals for the first ever time in the T20 World Cup history. A glorious day for Afghanistan cricket. Naveen-ul-Haq spears in a fuller-length delivery which angles back into the batter from the off stump line, Mustafizur Rahman is rooted in the crease and is trapped on the front foot and gets beaten on the inside edge. The ball takes the whisker of the inside edge and pings his front pad. Mustafizur Rahman goes upstairs. UltraEdge comes up and shows that there's no nick when the ball passes through the inside edge. Ball Tracking confirms three reds. OUT it is and Afghanistan creates history by winning this game by 8 runs by DLS method and this means, Australia is officially eliminated from this ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

UPDATE 10.29 am IST (4.59 am GMT) - Mustafizur Rahman is the last man in for Bangladesh. Uh, oh! Mustafizur did walk out to bat but he has to walk right back and the covers are coming on as the rain is really pelting down now. What a difference one single delivery makes in such situations as Bangladesh were ahead of the DLS score before the last delivery and now they are 3 runs behind. Hold on! It's cat and mouse stuff in the middle as the covers are taken off and we will have a prompt restart. This game really isn't for the faint-hearted. There is a bit of a halt before we get going though and Rashid Khan is just having a chat with the umpire. Right then, 9 needed from 8 balls and one wicket left, Naveen-ul-Haq is raring to get going and Mustafizur Rahman is on strike. Let's play...

OUT! CHOPPED ON! NAVEEN-UL-HAQ, YOU BEAUTY! Afghanistan is just a solitary wicket now from the qualification! Naveen-ul-Haq bowls a deceptive slower one from around the stumps and pitches it around off, and nips back it a bit as well. It keeps low and skids through quickly. Taskin Ahmed is deep in his crease and swipes it across the line but gets a thickish inside edge that dismantles the furniture. A sea of raw emotions in the Afghan camp! This game has swung to and fro keeping us all on the edge of the seats.

OUT! CHOPPED ON! NAVEEN-UL-HAQ, YOU BEAUTY! Afghanistan is just a solitary wicket now from the qualification! Naveen-ul-Haq bowls a deceptive slower one from around the stumps and pitches it around off, and nips back it a bit as well. It keeps low and skids through quickly. Taskin Ahmed is deep in his crease and swipes it across the line but gets a thickish inside edge that dismantles the furniture. A sea of raw emotions in the Afghan camp! This game has swung to and fro keeping us all on the edge of the seats.

PUT DOWN! Naveen-ul-Haq gets his right hand to the ball but can't keep a hold of it on his follow-through. A genuine chance gone begging. Full and outside off, Litton Das doesn't read the ball, and looks to drive downtown but plays it early and chips it straight back to Naveen-ul-Haq who reaches for it but eventually shells it and parries it around the mid on region for a single.

The rain is getting heavier now and Bangladesh are currently a run ahead on the DLS method. But the play goes on and this game just keeps on getting more and more intriguing.

Around the wicket this time, on a length and around off, Taskin Ahmed hops on the back foot and slices it past backward point for just a single.

Just a single! Naveen-ul-Haq attacks the off stump on a length, Litton Das backs away from the line of the ball and guides it between cover-point for a single. 11 needed off 11 now.