Trinidad: South Africa powered their way into their first T20 World Cup final by dismantling Afghanistan in a dominant semi-final performance on Wednesday.
The Proteas overwhelmed Afghanistan by nine wickets, chasing down a meager target of 57 with more than 11 overs to spare at the Brian Lara Stadium.
Afghanistan’s decision to bat first backfired spectacularly as they were skittled out for just 56 runs in 11.5 overs, marking the lowest total in a T20 World Cup semi-final. Left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (3 for 6) and pacer Marco Jansen (3 for 16) were instrumental in the demolition, applying relentless pressure alongside fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, who took two wickets each.
In response, South Africa lost Quinton de Kock early to Fazalhaq Farooqi, who secured his tournament-leading 17th wicket. However, Reeza Hendricks (29 not out) and captain Aiden Markram (23 not out) comfortably steered their team to 60 for 1 in just 8.5 overs, sealing their place in the final.
Afghanistan’s innings saw only Azmatullah Omarzai reaching double figures with a score of 10, while extras contributed 13 runs to their total. This lackluster batting effort was a stark contrast to their thrilling victory over Bangladesh in the quarter-finals, which had secured their first-ever semi-final appearance in a senior men’s world tournament.
Afghanistan had relied heavily on their opening batsmen Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran throughout the tournament. However, the duo’s failure to provide a solid start in this match exposed the team’s fragile batting lineup.
South Africa will now face the winner of Thursday’s second semi-final between defending champions England and unbeaten India (7:30 pm PKT). The final is scheduled for Saturday in Barbados, where the Proteas will aim to clinch their maiden T20 World Cup title.
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