Afghanistan created history by making their way to a World Cup semi-final for the first time in history. However, the path to qualification was not easy for the Afghans as they faced two giants of the game New Zealand and Australia during the group and Super 8 stage, respectively, and surprisingly, they defeated both teams.
Their recent victory against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 clash helped them to qualify for the semi-finals and knocked out Australia from the qualification scenario. However, the Afghans will have a bigger challenge as they will face South Africa in the first semi-final, an undefeated side in the tournament so far and they must be hoping that their key players will show up at the biggest stage.
Here are the 3 Afghanistan players to watch out for against South Africa:
3. Rashid Khan
The skipper and x-factor of the team, Rashid Khan, will definitely be a player to watch for in the must-win game for Afghanistan. The star leg-spinner has been very effective with both bat and ball for the team. And the world knows how much experience he carries with him, especially in the shortest format of the game. He has taken 14 wickets in the 7 matches he has played so far in the tournament.
2. Gulbadin Naib
The medium pacer all-rounder, Guladin Naib, who is known for his ‘biceps flex’ celebration, has been a star player for the team in the tournament. Naib was the key player in Afghanistan’s win over Australia as he clinched 4 wickets and was named Player of the Match as well. Naib’s ability to take wickets in the middle overs will surely help the Afghanis to get a win over the Proteas and make their way to the final.
1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz
The right-handed stylish batter, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, is having his dream run in the tournament. Gurbaz is currently the highest run scorer in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, with 281 runs in just 7 innings. It won’t be wrong to say that he has delivered in almost every game he played for Afghanistan in the tournament so far and now as we are getting to the final stage of the tournament, Gurbaz needs to deliver at the biggest stage.