• Source:JND
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SA vs AFG, 2024 T20 World Cup: Afghanistan’s dream run in the 2024 T20 World Cup came to a heart-breaking end as the South African bowlers rattled their batting lineup and helped the team qualify for the first ICC final on Thursday after winning by nine wickets. Afghanistan was skittled out for just 56 runs inside 12 overs, where Marco Jansen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje gave the Afghanistan batters a hard run for their money on a tricky Trinidad surface which was bowlers friendly. 

The Aiden Markram-led side chased down the target quite comfortably as the Proteas batters bounced back from their lean patch in the ICC semis and qualified for their first-ever final, which will be held in Barbados on June 29, Saturday. Rashid made the mistake of opting to bat first while winning the toss in Trinidad. Marco Jansen gave the team the first breakthrough and took the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the first over itself. Keshav Maharaj bowled the second over and that was when Afghanistan could score some runs. But then things got worse in the third over.  
 
Jansen then dismissed Gulbadin Naib and Kagiso Rabada took the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammed Nabi and kept Afghanistan reeling. The wickets kept tumbling down for Afghanistan as Kharote couldn’t do much and when Omarzai helped the team bounce back, he lost his wicket as well.  
 
Skipper Rashid Khan and Karim Janat tried to stitch a partnership of 22 runs and helped the team go past 50 runs but then Tabraiz Shamsi came and wreaked havoc. He took the wickets of Karim Janat and Noor Ahmed and helped his team continue their dominance. Nortje, who also had a heated exchange with Rashid dismissed the Afghan skipper and then Shamsi finished the job for his team. Afghanistan's lowest total of 56 runs is considered the worst by any team in a T20 World Cup semifinal.  
 
The Aiden Markram-led side had a shaky start as the surface was still helping the pacers. Fazhalhaq Farooqi dismissed Quinton de Kock and gave the team the much-needed breakthrough. Aiden Markram survived another hiccup as he got away with a small nick off the bat. Markram along with Reeza Hendricks helped the team go past through the powerplay and chased down the target within nine overs.