In the first semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup, South Africa earned their first-ever spot in the final by defeating Afghanistan by 9 wickets. South Africa chased down Afghanistan’s modest target of 56 runs in 8.5 overs, losing only one wicket.
Quinton de Kock was the only batter dismissed, scoring 5 runs, while Reeza Hendricks remained unbeaten on 29 and captain Aiden Markram on 23. Fazalhaq Farooqi took the lone wicket for Afghanistan.
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The match took place at Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, where Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Their entire team was bowled out for 56 runs in 11.5 overs. Afghanistan’s batsmen struggled against South Africa’s excellent bowling. Azmatullah Omarzai was the only player to reach double figures with 10 runs, while three players were dismissed for ducks.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz was out for 0, Ibrahim Zadran scored 2, Gulbadin Naib 9, Mohammad Nabi 0, and Nangialiah Kharote managed only 2 runs. Karim Janat and Rashid Khan both scored 8 runs, Noor Ahmad was out for 0, and Naveen-ul-Haq made 2 runs.
For South Africa, Tabraiz Shamsi and Marco Jansen each took 3 wickets, while Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje claimed 2 wickets each. This match marked Afghanistan’s first appearance in a semi-final of a major T20 World Cup tournament.
