Left-arm fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi and captain Rashid Khan delivered outstanding performances at Providence Stadium, guiding Afghanistan to a resounding 84-run victory over New Zealand in their ICC T20 World Cup match on Friday night.
Afghanistan’s triumph was highlighted by an impressive bowling effort, with Farooqi and Khan each claiming 4 wickets.
New Zealand, chasing a target of 160 runs, faltered under the pressure of Afghanistan’s disciplined bowling attack, struggling to 75 all out in 15.2 overs.
At one point, the Kiwis were reeling at 43 for 5 after 7 overs, failing to establish partnerships throughout their innings.
Glen Phillips (18) and Matt Henry (12) were the only batsmen to reach double figures for New Zealand in a disappointing batting performance.
Earlier, Afghanistan posted a competitive total of 159/6, thanks to a century partnership between openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (80) and Ibrahim Zadran (44).
Their solid start set the foundation for Afghanistan’s innings.
Reflecting on the match, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson acknowledged Afghanistan’s strong performance and admitted his team’s shortcomings in the field.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan expressed satisfaction with his team’s strategy and execution, describing the victory as one of their greatest achievements.
In another match on Friday, Bangladesh narrowly defeated Sri Lanka by 2 wickets in Dallas, USA. Sri Lanka managed 124/9 in their 20 overs, with Pathum Nissanka top-scoring with 47 runs.
Bangladesh’s bowlers, led by Mustafizur Rahman and Rishad Hossain with 3 wickets each, restricted Sri Lanka effectively.
Bangladesh, despite a shaky start losing their opener early, recovered through Litton Das (36) and Towhid Hridoy (40), guiding them to victory with Mahmudullah remaining unbeaten on 16.