History was made in Guyana as Afghanistan thoroughly dominated New Zealand, handing them a resounding defeat and securing their second consecutive win in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Although Afghanistan’s recent rise in cricket means this victory might not be seen as a traditional upset, it remains a significant milestone for the Asian side. They not only defeated New Zealand for the first time in international cricket but did so decisively, winning by 84 runs with 28 balls to spare.
Despite putting up a competitive total, Afghanistan needed to be sharp with the ball to defend their total effectively. Fazalhaq Farooqi set the tone early with three wickets in his first spell, continuing his impressive form from the game against Uganda. Rashid Khan struck with his first delivery of the night, and together with Mohammad Nabi, they wove a tight web around the Kiwi batters. The spin duo took control of the game, preventing New Zealand from finding any rhythm. Farooqi, who started the carnage, wrapped up the innings with four wickets. Apart from Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry, no other New Zealand batter managed to reach double figures. New Zealand lost three wickets in the Powerplay and a staggering seven within the first 10 overs, making a comeback impossible.
Earlier in the game, Afghanistan got off to a flying start after being asked to bat first. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran hit early boundaries, immediately putting New Zealand under pressure. The Kiwis, displaying signs of rust from not having played together recently, were inconsistent in the field and missed several opportunities. The Afghan opening pair slowed down slightly after the Powerplay but accelerated again around the halfway mark. After a quickfire innings from Azmatullah Omarzai, Gurbaz struggled to find support from the other end and eventually was dismissed for 80. Consequently, Afghanistan posted a total of 159, which proved to be more than sufficient.
The Afghan pacers generated more swing and turn compared to their Kiwi counterparts, making the ball talk significantly more. Although the pitch played reasonably well, the batting from New Zealand made it seem much more challenging.