The Afghanistan cricket team is on cloud nine due to their heroic representation in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup. After beating cricketing giants like Australia and New Zealand, they deservedly made their way to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup. In the last Super 8 match of the ongoing event, Rashid Khan and company emerged victorious against Bangladesh in a dramatic yet thrilling game.
While as a team, Afghanistan performed wonders, three players, Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq, who each picked up four wickets, came out as the mega heroes of that epic match. Also, their star batter, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, whose 43 runs were a major reason why Afghanistan could post 115 runs while other batters were getting out, Afghanistan will look to maintain the same decorum in the Super 8, but the news coming from Trinidad and Tobago might take the Afghanistan team down a little due to Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s injury.
Will Rahmanullah Gurbaz play against South Africa?
In the last Super 8 game, Gurbaz sustained a knee injury, which is the main concern for Afghanistan currently. Things looked serious when he walked away from the dressing room. It is to be noted that Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the leading run-scorer of this T20 World Cup 2024, and his form is going to be crucial for Rashid Khan-led Afghanistan.
Although the good news is Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan recently provided an update about the star batter’s injury. ‘Well, he had some cramps. I don’t know what happened to him, and I don’t know what’s going on in social media, but that doesn’t matter. It’s just an on-field injury that happens, the rain came and we just went off, it’s not something that made a massive difference in the game. We came back on the field after five minutes, and there was no massive difference. For me, it’s just like if a small injury happens, then you have to take some time.’ Rashid said after the game.
Leading run scorer of the tournament
Why Gurbaz’s form is important for Afghanistan, as evident to everyone, with 281 runs in 7 games and an impressive average of 40.14. And as mentioned, Gurbaz is leading the run-getter list for the T20 World Cup 2024. His ability to anchor innings and accelerate with his out-of-the-park shots when required makes Gurbaz’s performances crucial for Afghanistan.
Gurbaz’s stats in the T20 World Cup 2024
| Against | Runs | Results |
| Uganda | 76 | Afghanistan won by 125 runs |
| New Zealand | 80 | Afghanistan won by 84 runs |
| Papua New Guinea | 11 | Afghanistan won by 7 wickets |
| West Indies | 0 | West Indies won by 104 runs |
| India | 11 | India won by 47 runs |
| Australia | 60 | Afghanistan won by 21 runs |
| Bangladesh | 47 | Afghanistan won by 8 runs |
