Afghanistan led by Rashid Khan beat Australia by 21 runs at the Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, in Saint Vincent, on Saturday, June 23, in a major upset at the T20 World Cup 2024.
They had earlier beat New Zealand by 84 runs during the group stages of the ongoing tournament as well.
This victory will not only boost their chances for qualification from the Super 8 group for the semi-finals, but it has also opened the group up, making the next India-Australia game, a must-win match in Group 1.
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Afghan openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60 off 49 balls) and Ibrahim Zadran (51 off 48 balls) recorded another century partnership (111 runs) at the top of the order. This makes it three century stands in the World Cup for the opening pair, after they put up 154 runs and 104 runs for the first wicket against Uganda and New Zealand, respectively.
After setting up a target of only 149 runs to chase, the Afghan bowlers led by Gulbadin Naib (4/20) and Naveen-ul-Haq (3/20) routed the entire Australian batting unit and put pressure on their middle order, setting up another memorable victory at the world stage as they bowled out Australia for just 127 runs.
In this article, we look at some of the bigger teams that Afghanistan have beaten in Cricket World Cups, breaking records, creating history and becoming the giant-slayers in the process.
Which big teams have Afghanistan beaten at cricket World Cups?
Afghanistan, who made their World Cup debut in the year 2010, have since then risen in ranks, proving their merit against the elite teams and found admiration from cricket fans across the globe.
Here is a list of some of the bigger teams that Afghanistan have been in Cricket World Cups:
| vs Opposition | Tournament & Year | Venue | Win Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | T20 World Cup 2024 | Kingstown | by 21 runs |
| New Zealand | T20 World Cup 2024 | Guyana | by 84 runs |
| Pakistan | ODI World Cup 2023 | Chennai | by 8 wickets |
| West Indies | T20 World Cup 2016 | Nagpur | by 6 runs |
| England | ODI World Cup 2023 | Delhi | by 69 runs |
| Sri Lanka | ODI World Cup 2023 | Pune | by 7 wickets |
It all started when they beat table-toppers West Indies in the final group stage match of the 2016 T20 World Cup, a tournament in which the team from the Caribbean ended up as the champions. This gave them their first taste of slaying giants at the world stage.
Their best performance came in a tournament seven years later, at the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, when they beat three big teams in Pakistan, England, and Sri Lanka, convincingly and by fairly good margin.
The victory by 8 wickets against Pakistan chasing 283, became one for the history books as it was the highest successful chase in ODI cricket, which also saw them record their first ever win against their neighbors in the 50-over format.
Furthermore, their most famous win came against England, who were then the defending champions of both the T20 and ODI World Cup. It was hailed as a "seam and spin" bowling masterclass as they successfully defended a score of 284, bowling the opposition out for just 215 runs.
Afghanistan have now produced two major upsets at the T20 World Cup 2024, once during the group stages against New Zealand and then in the Super 8 against Australia now.
This result has brought them back in contention for the semi-final spot, making the next India-Australia match a must-win for either team. Furthermore, if Australia lose to India, Afghanistan will have the advantage of knowing the exact margin of victory they need against Bangladesh.
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