After a little more than three weeks of intense action, mouthwatering clashes and high drama, ICC T20 WC 2024 sees its four Semifinalists – India, England, Afghanistan and South Africa. It has been a rollercoaster ride for all these four teams. June 27, 2024, will witness two breathtaking semi-finals – Afghanistan vs South Africa and India vs England – before the top two battle it out for the summit clash on June 29, 2024. In this edition, we have analysed how up these sides are for the challenge that lies ahead.
Semi-final 1 of ICC T20 WC 2024 – Afghanistan vs South Africa
Both Afghanistan and South Africa have had a topsy-turvy ride leading up to the semi-final. They had their highs and lows. But importantly, they clicked when it mattered.
Afghanistan
For a country that has been ravaged by political turmoil and the reluctance of teams around the world to visit there, making a qualification to the semi-final of an ICC tournament speaks volumes of their cricketing heroics that will only become more and more prominent as time goes on.
Led by a spirited Rashid Khan, Afghan boys set the stage on fire when they beat much-fancied New Zealand by 84 runs in the Group C encounter, shocking and pleasing cricket pundits in equal measure.
They also registered victories against Uganda and Papua New Guinea before being handed a thrashing 104-run defeat at the hands of hosts West Indies in their last Group C game.
Although the game was inconsequential as Afghanistan and WI had already qualified for Super 8, such a defeat must have been heartbreaking for the former.
Afghanistan – The Surprise Package in Super 8 of ICC T20 WC 2024
The loss to WI had an effect as Afghanistan could not match up to India’s brilliance in their first Super 8 encounter by losing the game by 47 runs. The fate seems to have closed for Afghanistan.
But the Afghanistan team was determined to turn the tide in their favour. Their positive intent led them to an unbelievable 21-run victory over the 2021 T20 World Cup holders Australia. The moment Omarzai got the last Australian wicket of Zampa, the Afghanistan team and their supporters were brought into raptures.
Suddenly, their belief went up miles. However, they had to win their last game against Bangladesh to qualify for the semi-final of the T20 WC 2024. And they did that with a lot of fight, character and resilience. Although they could only muster 115 despite the opening stand put on 59, Afghan bowlers led by the skipper Rashid Khan were unrelenting as wickets fell at regular intervals amid rain interruptions and fast-changing Duckworth Lewis calculations. Finally, Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by eight runs to seal their semi-final spot.
South Africa
South Africa, which often choke at crucial junctures of an ICC tournament, is a strong unit like always. Quinton De Kock, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Henrich Klaasen, KG Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, you name it. They all intimidate the opposition team with their sheer power and brilliance.
After registering a rather comprehensive 6-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their Group D encounter, SA struggled to get going against the Netherlands as they huffed and puffed in response to the latter’s 103. They got over the line, courtesy of Miller’s half-century. But it was far away from being a clinical performance. The same thing happened against Bangladesh where they faltered with the bat to score just 113 batting first. It was their fast bowlers and the spinner Keshav Maharaj, in particular, who held his nerve to bowl a tidy last over to help the Proteas beat Bangladesh by four runs.
If that was a close victory, how about the 1-run victory South Africa managed against the minnows Nepal? Batting first, South Africa folded up at 115, courtesy of Nepal’s excellent bowling. However, the inexperience of Nepal meant SA eked out a thrilling 1-run win.
South Africa’s Performance in Super 8 of ICC T20 WC 2024
Came the Super 8 round of T20 WC 2024 and South Africa struggled once again. United States of America (USA) took on the South African bowlers to almost chase down a daunting 194 set up by the Aiden Markram-led Proteas unit. SA escaped by just 18 runs.
Then came their old rivals England. South Africa started well by plundering 87 in the first ten overs courtesy of De Kock’s quickfire 65 off just 38 balls. However, South Africa started losing momentum as Klaasen, Markram and Stubbs departed cheaply. As a result, SA could only score 163, giving England more than a sniff. However, South African bowlers came with aggression and hostility by reducing England to 61 for 4 at the end of 10.2 overs. Lofty blows from Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone, however, took England nearly over the line before Proteas bowlers took charge and helped their side register a 7-run victory over the Jos Buttler-led English unit.
South Africa dashed the hopes of the local crowd by beating WI in their final encounter. The rain-interrupted game saw South Africa chasing a revised target of 123 in 17 overs by losing seven wickets.
Afghanistan vs South Africa – Who Has Got the Upper Hand in Semi-final of ICC T20 WC 2024?
No clear favourites as both teams have had a rollercoaster ride so far. It will be the experience of South Africa vs the never-say-die attitude of Afghanistan. zarooribaathai.in predicts a 50-50 contest.
Semi-final 2 of ICC T20 WC 2024 – India vs England
The painful memories of England hammering India in the semi-final of the last edition – ICC T20 WC 2022 – are something every Indian fan would like to forget. What better way than a reverse story this time around, which is very much on the cards?
India
Led by Rohit Sharma, the Indian team has been everyone’s favourite given the well-rounded side it is. In batting, they have the experience of Rohit, Virat, Sky and Hardik to go with the exciting talent of Rishabh Pant. Whereas the likes of Bumrah, Arshdeep, Siraj and Kuldeep add a lot of teeth to the bowling line-up. All-rounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel make this team a complete unit.
They fittingly topped Group A by beating Ireland, Pakistan and USA, with their last game against Canada being called off due to rain.
Although they were nowhere near their best against Pakistan, they pulled off a miraculous 6-run victory over their arch-rivals, defending a meagre 119.
They won against Ireland and the USA comfortably to romp into the Super 8 round where they beat all three – Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Australia – by 47, 50 and 24 runs, respectively. The game against Australia saw Rohit Sharma unleashing fury at the bowlers by scoring 92 off 41 balls, smacking eight towering sixes.
England
Firstly, England must thank Australia for letting them into the Super 8 round. Kangaroos’ victory over Scotland opened the gate for England who were at the brink of elimination in the case of no result or a Scotland victory over Australia. England didn’t have a good start to the tournament by losing to their Ashes rivals Australia by 36 runs. With their game against Scotland rained out, they had to win their next two games against Oman and Namibia and hope Australia continue their victorious run against Scotland. Everything happened as per England’s wish.
They went into Super 8 of ICC T20 WC 2024 with renewed hopes and expectations. And they were spot on in their first Super 8 game against the hosts WI. England chased 181 in just 17.3 overs to kick off a fantastic campaign. But the next game saw them losing to the Proteas by 7 runs. However, the comprehensive 10-wicket victory against the USA bolstered their qualification to the semi-final, which became a reality after South Africa beat WI a day later.
Who Will Deliver the Knockout Punch in the India vs England Semi-final?
It’s going to be a cracker of a contest as both India and England are in serious form. However, India possess just a wee bit more in the bowling department, which might tilt the balance in their favour against England.
Conclusion
The semi-final drama is about to unfold as all four teams are ready to give it all in their quest for the ultimate prize – T20 WC 2024. For more such updates, visit zarooribaathai.in.
