Kagiso Rabada‘s electrifying performance in the first semifinal of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 proved to be the turning point, as South Africa crushed Afghanistan‘s hopes of reaching the finals with a stunning display of bowling.
Kagiso Rabada’s dominance
Rabada’s most memorable moment came in the 4th over of Afghanistan’s first innings. With the score at 20/3, a delivery of perfect length, nipping sharply off the seam and threading the narrow gap between bat and pad, leaving Nabi utterly beaten. The ball danced off the pitch, moving just enough to evade the bat’s defense and knock the stumps. Before dismissing Nabi, Rabada had already taken the wicket of Afghanistan’s opening batter, Ibrahim Zadran, who scored just 2 runs. Throughout the match, Rabada was exceptionally economical, conceding only 4.67 runs per over while claiming two crucial wickets.
Here is the Video:
Ibrahim Zadran ☝
Mohammad Nabi ☝
Kagiso Rabada hits timber twice in his first over and is breathing fire 🔥
Afghanistan is in Pressure #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Y6KQ8uAz7q
— Saud Nawaz (@saudnawax) June 27, 2024
Also READ: Fans in shock as South Africa packs Afghanistan for the lowest-ever total in T20 World Cup semi-final
Afghanistan’s dismal performance with the bat
Afghanistan’s batting lineup crumbled under the relentless pressure from South Africa’s bowlers, managing to score only 56 runs—the lowest total in any semifinal of the T20 World Cup. This dismal performance highlighted the effectiveness of South Africa’s bowling attack, spearheaded by Rabada after Nabi’s dismissal, Afghanistan managed to add only 36 more runs to their total. Including 13 extra runs, Afghanistan’s final score was a mere 56 runs. The highest scorer for Afghanistan was Azmatullah Omarzai, who contributed just 10 runs. No batter from the Afghanistan team was able to make a significant impact with the bat. In reply the Proteas chased down the target and won the high stakes battle with nine wickets in hand
South Africa’s historic triumph
With this dominant victory, South Africa has reached the finals of the T20 World Cup for the first time. The team’s outstanding performance has set the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the tournament. The second semifinal will see India and England battling it out for a place in the finals, where the winner will face South Africa. The grand finale is scheduled to take place at Kensington Oval Stadium, Bridgetown, Barbados, promising an exciting climax to the global showpiece event .
Also READ: Dale Steyn, Graeme Smith and others react as South Africa reach their first-ever World Cup final
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