Afghanistan reaches its first ever World Cup semi-final, beating Bangladesh

Afghanistan scripted a historic moment in cricket as they clinched their first-ever World Cup semi-final spot with a thrilling eight-run victory over Bangladesh. The result was even more significant as it ended Australia's hopes of progressing in the T20 tournament. This is reported by SSP.

Bangladesh entered the match with a chance to secure their own semi-final berth or send Australia through, but they fell short in their pursuit of a revised target of 114 in 19 overs due to rain interruption. Eventually, they were bowled out for 105.

Captain Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq were the heroes of Afghanistan's triumph, both claiming four wickets each. Their outstanding bowling performance paved the way for their historic World Cup semi-final clash against South Africa in Trinidad on Wednesday evening.

Despite a modest total of 115-5 batting first, Afghanistan faced a slight setback when they lost quick wickets. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz's impressive knock of 43 off 55 deliveries went in vain as Rishad Hossain eventually dismissed him. The Afghan team experienced a dramatic collapse, going from 84-1 to 93-5 within the span of just 11 balls. In a last-ditch effort to score quick runs, captain Rashid Khan smashed three sixes in a blistering 10-ball 19.

However, tensions rose in the final over when Rashid, eager for extra runs, expressed his frustration by throwing his bat at batting partner Karim Janat after being denied a second run. It was a rare incident that highlighted the pressure and intensity of the match.

In order to secure their own semi-final spot, Bangladesh needed to chase down the target in 12.1 overs. Unfortunately, they fell well short in their rain-affected reply and couldn't meet the required run rate