Afghanistan stunned Australia to keep their T20 World Cup hopes alive with a historic 21-run victory in St Vincent.
Facing elimination, Afghanistan posted 148-6 on a challenging pitch, thanks to a brilliant opening partnership of 118 between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran.
In response, Australia was quickly reduced to 32-3 before Glenn Maxwell’s 35-ball half-century steadied the ship for the 2021 champions. However, just as Australia seemed to gain the upper hand, Gulbadin Naib dismissed Marcus Stoinis and Tim David, then claimed the crucial wicket of Maxwell.
Australia then collapsed from 106-6 to 113-9, allowing Afghanistan to seal their first-ever win over Australia in any format of cricket in the final over.
“We’ve been waiting for a long time, it’s a great moment for me, my nation, my people,” said player of the match Gulbadin Naib.
Pat Cummins had earlier taken his second hat-trick in as many games, becoming the first player to achieve this feat in T20 internationals. Despite Australia’s strong performance with the ball, Afghanistan’s total proved insurmountable.
Rashid Khan’s team is now back in contention for the semi-finals and will face Bangladesh in their final Super 8s match on Tuesday at 01:30 BST.
“It’s a massive win for us as a team and as a nation,” added Rashid. “To beat the champions [Australia are 50-over world champions] in a World Cup is a great feeling, and it is something we have missed. It’s just the beginning for us, and we have every chance of making the semis.”
Meanwhile, Australia will face India in St Lucia on Monday at 15:30 BST, likely needing a win to advance to the last four.
