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Afghanistan’s journey to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup is a remarkable and inspiring story, reflecting their rapid rise in international cricket. They deserve every bit of the glory. It has been a hard-fought journey for a team which doesn’t even play at home. It’s a story of a team of players who made best use of their talent by playing in different leagues.
Over the years, they have been growing from strength to strength and the latest face-lift to become the second Asian team to qualify for the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup is just the starting of all good things surrounding Afghanistan cricket.
Afghanistan’s cricketing journey began just 24 years ago and they got the ODI status only in 2009. The best part of the story is that the war-torn nation’s team showed incredible resilience despite all the internal turmoil that the country has been going through. The players use cricket as a means of hope and unity. If you talk to skipper Rashid Khan, he till tell you more about a side that is so incredible in it’s approach.
‘One for all and all for one’ is the slogan of this team as they look for the best in the other, support each other and are constantly looking for challenges to test their skill levels. The Afghans are the most improved cricket nation in the world in last couple of years and playing the South Africans in the T20 semifinals is a testimony of their strong mindset.
The Afghans don’t play cricket for fun anymore. They play cricket to get results. They play cricket like any other professional. They want to win every time they are on the field. The energy level is good and so is the skill set.
The way they beat a top team like Australia shows their mental strength. Their daredevil approach helps them immensely. Therefore, beating Bangladesh and entering the last four of the ongoing T20 World Cup isn’t much of a big deal after pushing Australia out of the event with a little help from India. Even the ability to perform under pressure is a huge plus point for this side.
Afghanistan’s group stage performances in the T20 World Cup was also good. But not many gave them a chance to play the semi-finals. But the players had self-belief and their aggressive batting, led by explosive openers and middle-order stability, coupled with their formidable spin attack, made them a force to be reckoned with.
Rashid’s leadership also plays a big role in shaping the fortune of this side. The way Rashid backs his players is just too amazing. He should have led the Gujarat Titans in this year’s IPL instead of Shubman Gill. At least, GT could have done better and the owners must be thinking about it after seeing the way Rashid’ led his national side.
Even the fans in Afghanistan are on cloud nine, dancing on the streets while celebrating. The cricketers were no less, as they had a ball of a time celebrating to the tunes of “Lungi Dance”. The cricket fans across the globe have tremendous respect and admiration for this team. They have understood Afghanistan’s story is a testament to what can be achieved with determination, talent and teamwork. It stands as a beacon of hope and a source of immense pride for the country.
Well done Afghanistan!
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