T20 World Cup: ‘Australia won the game but Rashid Khan won hearts’, Twitterati reacts to Afghanistan’s valiant effort
Rashid Khan #RashidKhan
The T20 World Cup keeps on giving fans one thriller after another, be it India winning by 5 runs against Bangladesh or Australia edging past a determined Afghanistan on Friday. After posting a total of 168 runs on the scoreboard, Australia almost failed to control a rampaging Afghanistan, led by Rashid Khan, who managed 48 off just 23 deliveries.
The close victory has put a dent in Australia’s run rate and they are now reliant on Sri Lanka beating England to secure their spot in the semi-finals of the tournament. Afghanistan, who have not managed to win any of their fixtures, put up a spirited performance to almost bring the Aussies to their knees.
The nail-biting encounter between the sides was a delight for cricket lovers, with several of them admiring Afghanistan’s efforts. Check out some of the reactions here:
The official Twitter handle of Afghanistan Cricket Board hailed the efforts of their team.
Reema Malhotra wrote, “What a game of cricket !!Aus won the match but Afghanistan played really well !! @rashidkhan_19 what an entertainer !! Australia still alive …”
Amit Mishra also singled out Rashid Khan for his swashbuckling performance.
Harsha Bhogle commented, “What a wonderful game. Afghanistan lost but the talk was all about them. Loved how the narrative changed from how well Australia could win to whether they could actually win.”
People were all praises for all-rounder Rashid Khan, who almost took Afghanistan past the winning post.
Others felt sorry that Afghanistan could not secure a win in the tournament.
Here are some more reactions:
Courtesy of Australia’s narrow win, New Zealand have managed to become the first team to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-finals. In the game, Australia managed to reach 168, due to Glenn Maxwell’s 54 off 32. In the second half of the clash, the hosts did take some early wickets but the Afghan team soldiered on, with Gulbadin Naib smashing 39 before he was run out by Maxwell.
Rashid Khan almost turned the tables around for his side with his power-packed innings, but lost out by a measly 4 runs.