T20 World Cup 2024: PNG vs AFG, Match 29 Highlights: Unmissable video recap, turning points, match analysis, stats, and more

Afghanistan registered their third consecutive win of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Friday, June 14, at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, as they got the better of Papua New Guinea. The Rashid Khan-led side has been on a roll as they have made an impact since the start of the tournament. The side was riding high on confidence after defeating heavyweights New Zealand. Khan won the toss and opted to field first. 

Papua New Guinea batters had yet another bad outing with the bat as they lost their top-order batter in quick succession. Inside the powerplay, five batters of the Assad Vala-led side were already back in the pavilion with the score standing at 30/5. Apart from Kiplin Doriga's 27 runs and Alei Nao's 13 runs, no other batter could stay at the crease for long. Out of the 10 wickets, four Papua New Guinea batters were dismissed due to runouts.

Though Afghanistan have brilliant spinners in their camp, it was their fast bowlers who stole the whole in the game. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq shared five wickets between them as they bundled out the opposition for a mere 95 runs in 19.5 overs.

In the chase, Khan and Co. too didn't have a great start with the bat, as they lost both their openers who were brilliant early on. All-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai also walked back to the dugout after adding just 13 runs to the scorecard. However, it was the 46-run partnership between Gulbadin Naib and Mohammad Nabi, two of Afghanistan's most experienced players, that allowed them to chase down the total and win the game by seven wickets.

Let us take a look at the highlights from the match:

1. Fazalhaq Farooqi's brilliant spell of 3/16

The young 23-year-old Farooqi had a wonderful day with the bowl in his hand as he scalped three wickets of Lega Siaka, Sese Bau, and Alei Nao. The left-arm seamer got the better of the opposition batters as he didn't let them build a big partnership. He also won the Player of the Match award for his brilliant spell and is currently the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 12 wickets.

2. Afghanistan qualify for Super Eight

Rashid Khan and his men not only won the game convincingly but also qualified for the Super Eight phase. Afghanistan is sitting comfortably at the top of the table with three wins and has one more game to spare in the league stage. 

3. Gulbadin Naib's valiant knock of 49 

All-rounder Gulbadin Naib used the opportunity to the fullest to get some runs under his belt and become the architect in his side's win. Naib calmly played all his shots and rotated the strike well. In the 36-balls he faced, the veteran smashed four boundaries and two huge sixes.

Here are some more highlights from Afghanistan's win over Papua New Guinea: