Afghanistan vs Australia Highlights, T20 World Cup 2024: AFG beat AUS by 21 runs

"I think this is a massive win for us as a nation. In the World Cup, we beat the champions (Australia). It is what we were dreaming of in the last three years. 

Yeah, I think it was important for us to play with the same XI. We made a few changes against India as we wanted to change according to the opposition. 

I think 140 was a good total on this pitch. We didn't finish well. The opening partnership gave us a great start. This was the total we had in our minds. Anything over 140, we knew we have the skills to defend it. 

That is the beauty of the team. Whenever you give him the ball, the way Gulbadin bowled today, whenever you give him the ball, he uses his experience and does the job for us. Nabi too started well and got us that early wicket. 

I am sure everyone back home must be proud of us and enjoyed this win. Hopefully we can now win the next game and go through to the semis."

"They probably got 20 too many. And honestly, they played well today. We were outplayed today.

We definitely talked about batting first here before the game. We tried to get as much information of the surface. But still, I'm happy to bowl first here.

It was an off night for us in the field. We are an experienced group. We will be back next game.

We knew what we were going to expect tonight. it wasn't the easiest of the wicket to bat on. But Afghanistan bowled well tonight.

First and foremost, we need to win and there is no better team than to do it in world cricket. Absolutely credit to Afghanistan for pulling it off tonight."

Afghanistan stunned Australia by 21 runs in a Super 8 clash of the ongoing T20 World Cup on Sunday at Kingstown, St. Vincent. This is the first time that Afghanistan have defeated Australians in a cricket match. (READ MORE)

Gulbadin Naib, Player of the match: "First of all thanks to the Almighty. We were waiting for it for a long time. It is a great moment for me, for my nation. It is a big achievement for our cricket. No words to say, thanks to fans who have supported us in our journey. We have worked hard in the last two months and it has paid off.

If you saw in our innings, it wasn't coming onto the bat. That's what I used while bowling. Thank god Rashid trusted me again. It is a team effort. Rahmanullah, Zadran and also Naveen bowled well. Thank god we finally beat Australia. 

It is a great achievement for us as a team. This is a big achievement for us it, in this World Cup, we played good cricket and first defeated New Zealand. Australia is not an easy side and we are lucky to have this kind of stuff, the management who backs and the team who backs everyone. 

At the start of the tournament, we spoke about every single game. We played well in the first round and then obviously in Super 8, Bangladesh is a good side. We will rest tomorrow and then focus on what needs to be done in that game."

Azmatullah Omarzai takes the last wicket and Afghanistan has done the unthinkable. They have defeated Australia by 21 runs to stay alive in the competition. They fell short at Wankhede Stadium in the 2023 World Cup but not this time. Australia are all-out for 127 in 19.2 overs and Afghans are celebrating.

No ball signaled by Ahsan Raza. Free hit coming up. A no-ball because Afghanistan had only three fielders inside the circle! Poor captaincy this from Rashid. 

Adam Zampa is keeping it alive! A handy boundary for Australia. Australia need 28 runs in 8 balls.

It's that man again. Gulbadin Naib with a superman effort to take a brilliant catch, Naveen picked his thrid wicket as Agar walked back. Afghanistan are 1 wicket away from creating history. 

Gulbadin Naib picked up his fourth wicket as he cleaned up Pat Cummins. He is having a spectacular night with the ball. Australia need 37 runs in 20 balls. (AUS: 112/8 after 16.5 overs)

Another one bites the dust! Matthew Wade departs! Fantastic catch from Karim Janat. Australia are in deep trouble now. The Afghans must believe now that they can finish the job.  (AUS: 109/7after 15.3 overs)

They say catches win you the matches and Noor Ahmad has taken a blinder to send Glenn Maxwell back. Gulbadin Naib with the big wicket. Australia need 41 runs in 31 balls. (AUS: 108/6 after 14.5 overs)

A misfield in the deep from Karim Janat helps Maxwell collect another boundary. 100 is also up for Australia. Australia need 49 runs in 39 balls.  (AUS: 100/5 after 13.3 overs)

Glenn Maxwell brings up his fifty with a six. He is turning it on against Afghanistan yet again. He gets to the 50 in just 35 balls. It is the 16th T20I half-century for Maxwell.

Gulbadin Naib has pinned Tim David. Ahsan Raza gave it out, David decided to go upstairs.  Half of the Australian side are back in the hut. Australia need 62 runs in 44 balls. (AUS: 87/5 after 12.4 overs)

Glenn Maxwell hits Rashid Khan for a six. He has been searching for runs and it looks like he is coming back into the form against his favourite opponent. Afghanistan had witnessed it before. Australia need 65 runs in 48 balls. (AUS: 84/4 after 12 overs)

A leg cutter from Naib and Maxwell picked the change in pace and slapped it through mid-wicket for a boundary. Australia need 73 runs in 54 balls.  (AUS: 76/4 after 11 overs)

Gulbadin Naib is brought into the attack and he gets the big wicket of Marcus Stoinis. It was pitched short by Naib, Stoinis shuffled across and tried to keep the pull down but failed to get top of the bounce, and Gurbaz caught the top edge. Australia need 77 runs in 55 balls. (AUS: 72/4 after 10.5 overs)

That is placement to perfection. Full pitched from Rashid Khan, Maxwell gave himself a little bit of room and drilled it down the extra cover region to hit a boundary. Australia need 79 runs in 60 balls.  (AUS: 70/3 after 10 overs)

Hammered away in the leg side. Glorious shot from Stoinis. Australia need 89 runs in 68 balls. (AUS: 60/3 after 8.4 overs)

Poor delivery to start his spell for Noor Ahmad. 

50 up for Afghanistan in 8 overs. Australia need 99 runs in 72 balls.  (AUS: 50/3 after 8 overs)

That's Maxwell special. Maxwell gets down on one knee and clobbered it out of the stadium. Australia need 103 runs in 78 balls. (AUS: 46/3 after 7 overs)

Glenn Maxwell reverse-swept Nangeyalia Kharote for a boundary. Australia need 109 runs in 79 balls. (AUS: 40/3 after 6.5 overs)

Mohammad Nabi strikes with the first ball. David Warner decided to play a slog sweep and paid the price and ended up top-edging it to Noor Ahmad at short fine. Australia need 117 runs in 87 balls.  (AUS: 33/3 after 5.4 overs)

Shot of authority from Maxwell. Limited footwork and just flicked to hit another boundary. Australia need 117 runs in 91 balls.  (AUS: 32/2 after 5 overs)

Tickled and tickled down fine by Maxwell to get his first boundary.  (AUS: 28/2 after 4.3 overs)

Fazalhaq Farooqi has bowled an excellent over. Just five runs came from his second over. Australia need 126 runs in 96 balls. (AUS: 23/2 after 4 overs)

A clever change of pace from Naveen-ul-Haq, and Marsh is undone by it as he ended up miscuing it and Mohamad Nabi accepted an easy catch gleefully at mid-off. Australia are in trouble now. Australia need 132 runs in 104 balls. (AUS: 17/2 after 2.4 overs)

Excellent batting from Mitchell Marsh. Marsh takes a big stride forward and lifts it over the inner circle in the off-side for a boundary.  (AUS: 16/1 after 2.2 overs)

Top shot from Mitchell Marsh. He takes a stride forward and drives it straight past the mid-off fielder for a boundary. Australia need 137 runs in 110 balls. (AUS: 12/1 after 1.4 overs)

In-swinger and on the pads. Marsh fails to connect on the flick. It clips the outside half of his thigh pad and runs away in the fine leg region for four leg byes. Australia need 142 runs in 112 balls. (AUS: 7/1 after 1.2 overs)

What a start for Afghanistan! Dangerous Travis Head has been knocked over by Naveen-ul-Haq with an absolute ripper. Australia need 148 runs in 114 balls. (AUS: 1/1 after 1 overs)

We are back for the second innings. Umpires and players are back on the field. Australian openers Travis Head and David Warner has made their way in the middle.  A slip in place for Naveen-ul-Haq, who is handling the new ball duties for Afghanistan instead of Fazalhaq Farooqi. 

A four to end the Afghanistan innings. They have posted 148 for 16 at the end of their innings. Brilliant last over from Cummins, who could have got a fifer in that over only. Australia will have to bat really well to chase this surface. Afghanistan's seamers and spinners will feel they have got a big chance here. Stay tuned for all the live updates. 

Dropped!!! Cummins would have had four in four. Warner drops a dolly in the deep. A regulation catch to be honest. 

Back-to-back hat-tricks for Pat Cummins. Can you believe it? He picked up a hat-trick against Bangladesh in their previous game and has picked up another. 

Janat goes deep in his crease and looks to smoke it down the ground over the long on fence but fails to get the required elevation. David stationed on the boundary takes a good catch.

A boundary to end the over. Nabi is off the mark in style. Cameron Green did all the hard yard but ended up putting the ball out of the fence.  (AFG: 141/4 after 19 overs)

Leading edge has gone for a six. Valuable runs for Karim Janat and Afghanistan. (AFG: 136/4 after 18.4 overs)

Ashton Agar puts down a tough chance. Agar runs back and thought that Green from long off was running in to take the catch but he wasn't. Agar was never in the position to grab that one. He dives but fails to get any hand to it. Two runs completed.

Change of pace has worked for Cummins. Rashid gave him a charge but ended up hitting it straight to Tim David, patrolling at long-on. Afghanistan have lost four wickets in a jiffy and the momentum has switched.  (AFG: 126/4 after 18 overs)

Travis Head gets underneath the ball with a dive but fails to get any hands to it. (AFG: 126/3 after 17.5 overs)

Another one goes down. Zampa picks up his second scalp on the final ball of his spell. He bounces out Zadran with a quicker one. Zadran departs for a well-made 51. (AFG: 122/3 after 17 overs)

One brings the two. Adam Zampa cleans up Omarzai to bag his first wicket. (AFG: 121/2 after 16.2 overs)

Australia had the breakthrough finally. It has been a long wait for them. Stoinis dismisses Gurbaz on 60 and then gave him a send-off. Azmatullah Omarzai walks out to bat at number 3.   (AFG: 119/1 after 16 overs)

Most 100+ stands in a single edition of T20 World Cup:

3 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz ? Ibrahim Zadran, 2024

2 - Adam Gilchrist ? Matthew Hayden, 2007

2 - Rohit Sharma ? Virat Kohli, 2014

2 - Babar Azam ? Mohammad Rizwan, 2021

A long hop from Stoinis and Gurbaz whacked it for an 84m long six.  (AFG: 118/0 after 15.4 overs)

50 for Ibrahim Zadran as well! Gets there in 46 balls!

A half-century for Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Gets there in 44 balls. This is his 11th T20I fifty.  (AFG: 109/0 after 15 overs)

100 partnership comes up between these two Afghan openers. Width offered from Hazlewood and Zadran throws his hands at it and slashes it over backward point for a boundary. (AFG: 101/0 after 13.1 overs)

Horrible fielding from Agar. This is the second time he has missed the ball and has conceded the boundary.  (AFG: 96/0 after 13 overs)

A missed stumping opportunity from Wade behind the stumps. The wrong'un fools Gurbaz, and perhaps Wade was blinded by the batter, because he can't pick the ball up clean.

Only once in their T20I history, Australia have failed to take a wicket despite bowling 12 overs. This is the second such occasion. Previous one was against Pakistan in 2018 in UAE!

Magnificent from Gurbaz. He gives himself some room and gets underneath this one to tonk it straight back over the bowler's head for a maximum. (AFG: 90/0 after 12.2 overs)

Stoinis has put down a catch off his own bowling! Hang on! There is a direct hit at the bowler's end and Gurbaz has made it back. (AFG: 83/0 after 11.4 overs)

79/0 - This is the highest-ever opening partnership conceded by Australia in T20 World Cups.

Gurbaz greets Stoinis with a boundary. Short from Stoinis and Gurbaz swivels it to get a four. (AFG: 79/0 after 11.2 overs)

Brilliant throw from Tim David. Agar is quick to grab it and remove the bails, with Gurbaz diving across the crease. Replays are in. The dive saves Gurbaz in the end. (AFG: 72/0 after 10.5 overs)

Wow. What a fantastic shot that was from Ibrahim Zadran. He splits the gap between sweeper covers and long off perfectly to collect four runs.  (AFG: 70/0 after 10.4 overs)