SPORTS
Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets in Sharjah on Tuesday to confirm their passage into the Super 4 stage of Asia Cup 2022.
The Afghan bowling attack put up another amazing performance against new opponents on a new surface when they faced Bangladesh in the third game of the Asia Cup 2022 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Even after some great efforts from Bangladesh spinners, Afghanistan hitters pushed the squad to a Super Four berth.
While the Afghans defeated Sri Lanka in their first match, they thrashed Bangladesh in their second group-stage game. On the back of some fabulous bowling and fearless batting, Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets.
During the Powerplay, Mujeeb Ur Rahman led the charge, shattering the top order. On a track where the ball kept lowering, he kept it simple and threw the ball towards the stumps, forcing the batsmen to make an error while allowing the pitch to do its thing. Bangladesh's batters' poor shot selection led to a batting collapse, as skipper Shakib Al Hasan's decision to bat first backfired.
Rashid Khan dominated the match after going wicketless in the first game, picking wickets at regular intervals and breaking Bangladesh's momentum as their batting unit crumbled. Skipper Mohammad Nabi had the opportunity to put an end to the match, but for some reason, he continued to use Naveen-ul-pace Haq's and reserved a few overs from other bowlers.
Afghanistan openers Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz stepped out to bat with a 128-run target on the board. However, the Men in Green took an early lead when Shakib Al Hasan struck in the powerplay to send Gurbaz back.
Afghanistan hitters struggled to score runs, and there was a point in the game when it appeared that Bangladesh would turn the tables. Najibullah Zadran and Ibrahim Zadran's partnership, though, anchored Afghanistan's innings in the middle. The pair put up an unbroken 69-run stand that was packed with fours and sixes.
While some mocked Bangladesh, the majority praised Afghanistan for its outstanding performance.
Check out reactions here:
Bangladesh Batsmen after coming on pitch:#AFGvsBAN #BANvsAFG pic.twitter.com/46kHMuVcks
— SAAD (@Fallen_x_King) August 30, 2022
Bangladesh #BANvsAFG pic.twitter.com/m0w7Zqql3X
— Fatima (Naseem stan) (@JoeRootmatters) August 30, 2022
Afghanistan becomes the first team to qualify for the Super-4.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) August 30, 2022
Ibraham Zadran is such a wonderful player to watch. Technically solid. And Najibullah deserves an IPL gig. Should bat higher in this AFG team too #AfgvBan #AsiaCup
congratulations... more important matches coming up. all nation are proud of you. keep our team in your prayers to bring more smiles and glory to Afghanistan.
— Hamid Hassan (@hamidhassanHH) August 30, 2022
U #beuti #unstoppabletoday keep #shining @iamnajibzadran pic.twitter.com/KsuEsCkafa