In a stunning upset at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, Afghanistan achieved a monumental victory over defending champions Australia during the T20 World Cup 2024. This remarkable win marked a significant milestone in Afghanistan’s cricketing history, sparking widespread celebration among fans globally.
Wazhma Ayoubi’s heartwarming reaction to Afghanistan’s victory
Wazhma Ayoubi, a prominent internet personality known for her dual support of Afghanistan and India in cricket, expressed uncontainable joy following Afghanistan’s historic win over Australia. Rising to fame during the Asia Cup 2022, Wazhma took to her social media platform to share her excitement and gratitude. She celebrated Afghanistan’s achievement and extended heartfelt thanks to the team’s coaches, support staff, and management for their roles in the victory.
“23 October 2023, 23 June 2024 Those dates will shine brighter than a gold medal in Afghanistan’s cricket history. Thank you #AfghanAtalan, coaches, support staff, and the @ACBofficials management,” Wazhma wrote.
23 October 2023
23 June 2024
Those dates will shine brighter than a gold medal in Afghanistan’s cricket history.
Thank you #AfghanAtalan, coaches, support staff, and the @ACBofficials management 🙏🔥🧿👏🏻— Wazhma Ayoubi 🇦🇫 (@WazhmaAyoubi) June 23, 2024
Wazhma further also shared a video capturing the moment of Afghanistan players celebrating victory in the dressing room and captioned it, “We have done it. Afghanistan beats Australia by 21 Runs,”
We have done it 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Afghanistan beats Australia by 21 Runs 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🔥🔥🔥🧿🧿🧿🧿 pic.twitter.com/vH6qFV2Qeg— Wazhma Ayoubi 🇦🇫 (@WazhmaAyoubi) June 23, 2024
Also READ: Watch highlights: Afghanistan shock the world, defeat Australia for the first time ever | T20 World Cup 2024
Batting brilliance and bowling mastery define Afghanistan’s win
Afghanistan put up a competitive total of 148/6 in their 20 overs, driven by impressive individual performances from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. Gurbaz played a significant role with his 60 runs, while Zadran contributed 51 runs, forming a formidable partnership of 118 runs for the opening wicket. This partnership not only boosted Afghanistan’s early momentum but also provided a solid platform for their innings. Gurbaz’s aggressive batting and Zadran’s steady contribution were instrumental in guiding Afghanistan to their final score
Bowling heroics lead Afghanistan’s charge
In the bowling department, Gulbadin Naib emerged as the hero for Afghanistan, dismantling Australia’s batting lineup with a stellar performance. Naib’s spell of 4 wickets for just 20 runs in four overs played a pivotal role in restricting Australia to 127 runs in 19.3 overs. Naveen-ul-Haq complemented Naib’s effort with figures of 3/20, ensuring Australia fell short of Afghanistan’s total.
Rashid Khan (1/23), Mohammad Naib (1/1), and Azmatullah Omarzai (1/10) also made valuable contributions with crucial wickets, collectively ensuring Afghanistan’s dominance throughout the match. Their efforts culminated in a memorable victory that bolstered Afghanistan’s standing in the T20 World Cup 2024 and kept their semi-final hopes alive.