Afghanistan Overwhelms New Zealand, Bangladesh Outlasts Sri Lanka In T20 World Cup Clashes

Afghanistan's strong start to the T20 World Cup continued on Friday as they dismantled New Zealand with an 84-run victory in Guyana. It is now two wins in two for Afghanistan, who enjoyed another impressive opening stand as Rahmanullah Gurbaz plundered 80 off 56 balls, including five fours and five boundaries, with Ibrahim Zardan adding 44.

Azmatullah Omarzai's dismissal for 22 saw Afghanistan stumble, but with a respectable 159-6, it was always going to be hard for New Zealand to chase. The 2021 runners-up could not find their footing, with only two of their players reaching double figures. Glenn Phillips top-scored with 18. They stumbled to 75 all out in just 15.2 overs, suffering their first T20 international defeat to Afghanistan, and they drop to the bottom of Group C.

Afghanistan have opened an ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign with back-to-back wins for just the second time, last doing so in 2016. They have now won their last four T20Is, their longest streak since 2022. Gurbaz hit 50 for the second game in a row, improving on his 76 runs in their win over Uganda with 80 in this win.

Second fifty in #T20WorldCup 2024 Another @MyIndusIndBank milestone moment for Rahmanullah Gurbaz. pic.twitter.com/34PrZ7TQoo

— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) June 8, 2024

Elsewhere, Bangladesh survived a scare to make a winning start to their campaign, getting a two-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Dallas. Pathum Nissanka impressed with 47 off just 28 balls, but a flurry of late wickets saw Sri Lanka stumble to 124-9 after a strong start.

Bangladesh's chase started poorly, with both openers being dismissed in the first two overs. However, after Towhid Hridoy's 40 and Liton Das' 36, Mahmudullah's 16 not out helped them over the line at the end of the 19th over.

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The results mark significant achievements for both Afghanistan and Bangladesh as they continue their campaigns in the T20 World Cup. Afghanistan’s consistent performance and Bangladesh’s resilience highlight their potential as strong contenders in the tournament.