Star batter Suryakumar Yadav stayed put on second position in the latest ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings, which also features Ruturaj Gaikwad, who made significant progress following his exploits in the ongoing away series against Zimbabwe. Suryakumar is placed second with 821 rating points behind Australia’s Travis Head, who has 844 rating points. Phil Salt of England is paced third with 797 points, ahead of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam (755), Mohammad Rizwan (746) and Jos Buttler (716). Gaikwad has gained 13 places to climb to the seventh spot in the rankings on the back of a stellar 77 not out off 47 balls in a comprehensive 100-run win for India in the second T20I against Zimbabwe.

With most of India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024-winning squad rested for the Zimbabwe tour, the five-game series has allowed India’s back-up players to showcase their talent, and with the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, the upcoming players can make a good case for a regular place in the side.

Apart from Gaikwad, Rinku Singh and Abhishek Sharma also made solid gains among the India batters.

Rinku, who was among the reserves for the T20 World Cup, jumped four places to reach the 39th spot on the back of an attacking 48 not out from 22 balls in the second T20I.

And after a duck in the first game, all-rounder Abhishek smashed a stunning 100 from just 47 balls in the second game. With this spectacular knock, he entered the rankings for the first time at 75th spot.

Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett gained 25 places to finish at the 96th position courtesy of his two attacking cameos, making 22 off 15 and 26 off nine in the two matches.

In the bowlers’ T20I chart, left-arm spinner Axar Patel dropped two places to be the lone Indian in top-10 at the ninth position with 644 rating points.

Fellow left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav also dropped three places to the 11th spot, while T20 World Cup’s player-of-the-tournament Jasprit Bumrah also slid two rungs to 14th position.

Besides, there were some movements in the top 10 positions of the bowling rankings, with Adam Zampa (7th), Fazalhaq Farooqi (8th), and Maheesh Theekshana (10th) gaining positions.

India’s Ravi Bishnoi, with his six scalps in the first two games against Zimbabwe, jumped eight places to move to the 14th spot.

Blessing Muzarabani also gained eight positions after the first two matches, up to 55th, with his spell of 1/17 instrumental in Zimbabwe winning the first T20I.

India vice-captain Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, dropped a place to the second position in the T20I all-rounders’ rankings.

Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka moved to pole position.

India’s Washington Sundar entered the top 50 on the back of his quickfire 27 in the first game, as well as his three wickets in two outings.

Axar is placed 12th in the all-rounders’ rankings.

India captain Rohit Sharma sent fans on social media into a frenzy many times en route to his 92 against Australia in the final Super 8 game of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Be it his onslaught on Mitchell Starc in an over that went for 29 runs, or his catch to dismiss an in-form Travis Head, Rohit had many memorable moments for the Indian fan to remember. But one shot in particular – a 100m six on the bowling of Australia’s Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins – might’ve been the sweetest.

Coming in to bowl the fifth over, Rohit welcomed Cummins with a tremendous shot. The Indian skipper got down on one knee and slogswept it over midwicket, and sent the ball back by 100 metres.

What made the six even more special was that it took Rohit’s tally of T20I sixes to 200; he became the first player to achieve this feat.

Rohit’s outstanding shot also sent the fans at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground into ecstasy, bringing out a roar that clocked 110 decibels.

Hold this class of “Rohit Gurunath Sharma”

[100m long six to the best bowler of this generation shows class of Hitman]

pic.twitter.com/DAzMpk5Du6

— Gillfied (@Gill_era7) June 24, 2024

Rohit Sharma’s 41-ball 92 helped India to a mammoth total of 205-5. Australia fell short in the end by 24 runs, despite Travis Head making 76 off 43 balls.

The win for India sends them through to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, where they’ll face England, in a rematch of the 2022 T20 World Cup semis. On that occasion, England had thumped India by 10 wickets.

For Australia, their fate is not in their control, as an Afghanistan win against Bangladesh would eliminate the 2023 World Cup champions, and send Afghanistan into the semis.

After a dominant group stage, Australia lost to both Afghanistan and India, putting their semi-final hopes in jeopardy.

India take on England in the second semi-final on June 27, at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

India vs Australia Live: Squads –

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj.

Australia: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (captain), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis.

Australia Test stalwart Usman Khawaja expressed his sadness at Afghanistan not being able to play in Australia, as he congratulated Afghanistan’s historic 2024 T20 World Cup win over his own country. Earlier in the year, Cricket Australia had cancelled a bilateral series against Afghanistan over the country’s “marked deterioration” in the treatment of women and children, following the rise of the Taliban regime. While the Afghanistan cricketers remain puzzled over the decision, Khawaja stated that the Afghanistan side was an inspiration.

Replying to a tweet by Rashid Khan celebrating Afghanistan’s 21-run win over Australia, Khawaja said:

“Well done Brother. Better team on the day. You boys are an inspiration for so many back home and abroad. So sad we can’t see you all play in Australia.”

In 2023 and 2024, Cricket Australia had cancelled a planned bilateral series against Afghanistan. The decisions came following restrictions imposed by the ruling Taliban, which did not allow women and girls to access higher education and public property like parks and gyms.

Needing a win to stay alive in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan posted a total of 148 in 20 overs. However, the Aussie opening pair of Travis Head and David Warner failed to fire.

It looked that much like the 2023 World Cup clash between the two nations, Glenn Maxwell would take the game away from Afghanistan. However, he was dismissed in the 15th over, with Australia lying at 106-6. 

Gulbadin Naib was the unlikely hero with the ball, picking up four wickets: Maxwell, the in-form Marcus Stoinis, Tim David and Pat Cummins.

Afghanistan bundled out Australia for 127, registering their first win over the Aussies in T20 World Cup history.

If Afghanistan beat Bangladesh in their final Super 8 clash, and Australia lose to India, then Afghanistan will take a spot in the 2024 T20 World Cup semis.

Following a setback against Afghanistan that left Australia speechless at Arnos Vale Ground, captain Mitchell Marsh has issued a warning to his teammates ahead of their final clash in the Super 8 against unbeaten India at the 2024 T20 World Cup. The spirited performance from Afghanistan left Australia in a peculiar situation. Australia will now step into Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia to face India in a must-win game. With the Baggy Greens looking to bounce back from their recent setback, Marsh emphasized the need to win against India.

“First and foremost, it becomes clear for us. We need to win, and no better team to do it against. Full credit to Afghanistan for tonight, and we move on quickly,” Marsh said in the post-match presentation.

Things didn’t fall in place for Australia as they looked to sneak away a win and seal their place in the semi-final.

Catches were dropped, and a couple of misfields led to boundaries. Ashton Agar misjudging the ball as it went away for a four was one such example of their struggles.

It eventually came back to haunt Australia as a couple of errors in the field allowed Afghanistan to put 148/6 on the board.

“They got 20 too many. And to be honest, they played a really good game of cricket. We were outplayed tonight,” Marsh added.

Marsh won the toss and decided to bowl. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan admitted that they wanted to bat because the record indicated chasing a target on the surface was a taxing job.

“We did think about it. A lot of teams have bowled first at this World Cup to get an idea of the surface. Don’t think we lost at the toss. It was an off-night for us in the field, and we own that. We’ll be back next game. It wasn’t an easy wicket, but both teams played on this surface,” Marsh concluded.

With their fate hanging in balance, Australia will face India at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Saint Lucia, on Monday to fight for their semi-final spot.

Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 Live Streaming: Australia take on Afghanistan in the Super 8, hoping to all but seal their place in the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup. On the other hand, after a crushing 47-run loss to India, Afghanistan cannot avoid another loss to keep their semi-final hopes intact. The Asian nation will need to provide Rahmanullah Gurbaz with more support in batting, which has been their big weakness. Australia are firing on all cylinders and will look to remain unbeaten in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

When will the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match be played?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will be played on Sunday, June 23 (IST).

Where will the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match be played?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will be played at the Arnos Vale Ground, St. Vincent.

What time will the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match start?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will start at 6:00 AM IST. The toss will take place at 5:30 AM IST.

Which TV channels will telecast the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will be telecast in India on the Star Sports Network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will be streamed live on Disney plus Hotstar app and website.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

AFG vs AUS T20 World Cup 2024 LIVE Scorecard: Afghanistan need to win to stay alive in T20 World Cup.© AFP

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell lavished praise on the destructive opening duo of David Warner and Travis Head while talking about the factors that help them complement each other in the opening slot in the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup. Warner and Head have turned up on numerous occasions for the Baggy Greens laying the foundation for their successful totals. Head was a revelation for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He racked up 567 runs in 15 matches at an average of 40.50 and a whopping strike rate of 191.55.

Warner had a relatively quiet season with the Delhi Capitals but has found his groove in the ongoing tournament. The duo have complemented each other throughout Australia’s unbeaten run.

“Yeah, I think they both hit it in such different areas. I know they both cut well, but I think the way that Trav (Travis Head) has gone through the IPL, dominated, done really well, it’s come in with a lot of confidence and he’s just played such good, aggressive cricket and probably taken the game away from a lot of teams. And David has started so crisp pretty much in most of the games,” Maxwell said in the pre-match press conference.

In the group stage against England, the duo made short work of the English bowlers with their classic stroke play. They used the wind to their advantage and forged a 70-run opening stand of a mere 30 deliveries.

Their quick-fire partnership laid the foundation for Australia to put up a competitive total of 201/7.

“And you got to look back at that England game where they sort of broke the back of the match in those first six overs when the wicket wasn’t playing like a 12 an over in a power play type of game, but the way that they I suppose got us ahead allowed us to sort of set up the back end and we’re very blessed to have two extremely talented guys at the top of the order who are doing a great job for us,” he added.

Australia will play their next Super 8 game against Afghanistan on Sunday at Arnos Vale Stadium.

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Travelling Reserves: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short.

Afghanistan will take on Australia in the 48th match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2024. The Super 8 fixture is set to be played at the Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, St Vincent on 23rd June 2024 at 06:00 AM IST.

AFG vs AUS, Super Eight – Match 7 Preview

Australia comes into this match with momentum, having defeated Bangladesh by 28 runs in their previous outing. Pat Cummins was the standout performer for the Aussies, amassing 91 fantasy points.

On the other hand, Afghanistan faced a setback in their last game, losing to India by 47 runs. Rashid Khan was the top fantasy performer for Afghanistan, scoring 111 points.

AFG vs AUS, Head-to-Head

Historically, Australia has dominated Afghanistan in T20Is, winning the only match played between these two teams. The pattern suggests the Aussies will likely to continue their dominance. Australia’s batters have generally outperformed Afghanistan, while the Afghan bowlers have been their main contributors.

The last meeting between these teams was in Match 38 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2022, where Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan scored the highest fantasy points.

Key Players to Watch

Fazalhaq Farooqi (AFG)

Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi, a left-arm medium-fast bowler, has been in stellar form, taking 15 wickets in his last five matches.

Marcus Stoinis (AUS)

Batting all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, known for his swashbuckling approach and right-arm medium-fast bowling, has scored 156 runs and has also taken seven wickets for Australia.

Rashid Khan (AFG)

Afghanistan skipper, Rashid Khan, who bowls right-arm leg-break has led his team’s bowling unit in the tournament and has also taken nine wickets in his last five matches.

Adam Zampa (AUS)

Adam Zampa, a star leg spinner from Australia, has been one of the highest wicket-takers in this tournament. Zampa’s slow leg-break bowling has yielded 11 wickets.

Travis Head (AUS)

Australia’s explosive top-order batter, Travis Head, has amassed 179 runs in the recent five matches at an average of 44.8.

Ibrahim Zadran (AFG)

Right-handed top-order batter, Ibrahim Zadran, smashed 160 runs in the recent five matches at an average of 32 for Afghanistan. Zadran’s form will be crucial for Afghanistan’s success in the Super 8 stage.

Jasprit Bumrah was the only Indian who made the cut in a 2024 T20 World Cup ‘Team of the Tournament’ made by England greats Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain. The team, which has been made on the premise of the group stage of the T20 World Cup, saw the likes of Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Arshdeep Singh be left out, despite stellar performances. The English duo – who are now reputed commentators – analysed and explained their choices on Sky Sports Cricket.

Virat Kohli – the all-time highest run-getter in T20 World Cup history – will be hoping to make the Team of the Tournament at a later stage, having scored just five runs so far.

“We had Bumrah, obviously. He had to be in,” quipped Nasser Hussain. Bumrah has picked up five wickets in India’s first three games, including two Player of the Match awards, against Ireland and arch-rivals Pakistan.

Atherton and Hussain showed a lot of love for some of the unsung heroes of the tournament. Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Scotland’s Brandon McMullen and USA’s Aaron Jones all made their XI.

After winning IPL 2024, Gurbaz has been exceptional, scoring 167 runs in four innings at a striker rate of more than 150. McMullen has scored at an even faster rate, boasting a strike rate of 170.

Australia’s Marcus Stoinis was the only all-rounder picked by Atherton and Hussain. Stoinis is the third top run-scorer of the 2024 T20 World Cup so far, at a phenomenal strike rate of 190. Incredibly, he has also picked six wickets in four games, with an economy of just 5.77.

The Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup gets underway on Wednesday, June 19, as hosts USA face South Africa in Group II.

Atherton and Hussain’s ‘Team of the Tournament So Far’:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Travis Head, Brandon McMullen, Aaron Jones, Marcus Stoinis, David Miller, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein, Adam Zampa, Jasprit Bumrah, Fazalhaq Farooqi.