T20 World Cup 2024: WI vs AFG, Match 40 Highlights: Unmissable video recap, turning points, match analysis, stats, and more

Nicholas Pooran. (Photo Source: ICC)

Co-hosts West Indies (WI) and Afghanistan (AFG) squared off in game 40 of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia, on Tuesday, June 18 in a preparatory match for the Super Eight stage. The game began with the Caribbean coming in to bat first after losing the toss.

The side faced an early blow as their opener Brandon King departed after scoring just seven runs on the board. Meanwhile, Johnson Charles and Nicholas Pooran stitched an important 80-run partnership. Thanks to these two hitters, West Indies could put on 92 runs at the end of the powerplay. Charles walked back after scoring 43 runs off 27 deliveries. On the other hand, Pooran missed out on his much-deserved hundred by just two runs.

Both Shai Hope and skipper Rovman Powell added those crucial runs at the end which took the team’s total over 200 runs. The former champions finally ended their innings on 218/5. All the Afghan bowlers were smashed all over the park, with Gulbadin Naib being the most economical bowler for the side, picking two wickets.

Aiming to chase down the target, Rashid Khan & Co. got off to a poor start, as their opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz walked back after a three-ball duck. Ibrahim Zadran looked in good touch with the bat, as he found the gaps and was playing his shots freely.

Unfortunately, the 22-year-old fell after scoring 38 runs, in pursuit of playing a big innings. Azmatullah Omarzai also tried building a partnership with his compatriots but lost his wicket after adding 23 runs. After Omarzai none of the Afghan batters looked to play a big knock as all of them succumbed to the pressure of chasing a huge total. Skipper Khan hit 18 runs in the end overs, but his late flourish was not enough to chase down the target.

Also read: West Indies vs Afghanistan, 40th Match – Who Said What?

Eventually, the co-hosts won the game by 104 runs and finished the T20 World Cup group stage with a 100 percent win record. They now move ahead for the Super Eight with their first challenge being against England on June 20.

Here are some highlights from the West Indies vs Afghanistan match:

1. West Indies batter hit 36 runs off an over

Johnson Charles and Nicholas Pooran who were at the crease at that time smashed 36 runs off all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai’s over. The incident took place in the fourth over, with Pooran smashing 22 runs off his bat including, three sixes and a boundary. The other 14 runs came off extras.

2. Omarzai’s brilliant direct hit to dismiss the inform Pooran

In the final over of the match, Pooran was all set to smash his maiden ton but fell short by two runs, courtesy of an impressive direct hit from the all-rounder stationed at deep covers. The left-hander tried his level best to reach the crease attempting a full stretch but fell short of the crease.

Here are the best tweets from the game: