Mohammed Nabi Leads Afghanistan to Historic Win Over Australia in T20 World Cup

Afghanistan’s all-rounder Mohammed Nabi celebrated his 400th T20I game with a historic win over Australia in the ICC T20 World Cup Super Eights. This victory puts Australia’s chances of reaching the semifinals in jeopardy while boosting Afghanistan’s own chances.

Nabi’s Career Highlights

Nabi has been a key player for Afghanistan since his debut in 2009. In 400 T20I games, he has scored 5,866 runs at an average of 21.48 with 17 fifties and taken 350 wickets. He has been part of a team that has beaten over 30 countries, including Test-playing nations like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and England.

The Match Against Australia

Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first. Afghanistan got off to a strong start with a 118-run stand between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. Despite tight bowling from Australia, including a hat trick by Pat Cummins, Afghanistan scored 148/6 in 20 overs.

During the run-chase, Australia was reduced to 32/3, thanks to a fine spell by Naveen ul Haq. Glenn Maxwell tried to steady the ship with 59 runs, but Gulbadin Naib’s crucial wickets led to Australia being bowled out for 127 runs in 19.2 overs. This marked Australia’s first-ever loss to Afghanistan in international cricket.

Player of the Match

Gulbadin Naib was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his match-winning spell, which included the wickets of Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, and Pat Cummins.

What’s Next?

With this win, Afghanistan sits at number three in their group, while Australia is at number two. Both teams have two points each. If India wins their final Super Eights game against Australia and Afghanistan beats Bangladesh by a big margin, Australia will be eliminated from the T20 World Cup.