T20 World Cup 2024, AUS vs AFG Highlights: AFG Create History, Defeat AUS For First Time In Any Format

That's all for the coverage of this scintillating game! An historic moment that will forever be etched in Afghanistan cricket. They have defeated one of the tournament favourites and have kept their hopes alive for a Semi-finale place.

Celebrations have begun in the Afghan camp, and rightly so. With that, it's time for me to say goodbye. This i Anurag Dasgupta, and alongside Debashis Sarangi, it was a pleasure to bring you all the updates from this game.

Gulbadin Naib for his 4-wicket haul has been declared the Player of the Match

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Emotional moments for the Afghan boys!

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: HISTORY CREATED BY AFG!

An historic, historic moment in the history of T20 World Cup. Afghanistan have defeated the mighty Aussies by 21 runs. The entire Afghan support staff is on the ground as the boys have done the unthinkable.

Chasing a tricky 149, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals, with Head and Warner failing to deliver. It was upto Maxwell to salvage the pride for his nation, and he once again stood tall with a gritty fifty. However, Afghanistan found a hero in Gulbadin Naib, who picked up 4 crucial wickets and won the game for his side.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Australia, 9 down, game over!

You cannot keep Gulbadin out of this game. Naveen strikes and Gulbadin takes a marvellous catch at covers to dismiss Ashton Agar. Game is done and dusted. Afghanistan have done it...

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Gulbadin, you beauty!

He has single-handedly changed the complexion of the match. A brilliantly disguised slower ball and Cummins fails to read it as the stumps are shattered. Gulbadin gets his 4th wicket and there is your man of the match, if Afghanistan win this one.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Failure for Matthew Wade!

Wade had a chance to become the new Aussie hero, but he fails yet again. Fails to connect with the slog sweep against Rashid and gets a top-edge. The ball balloons in the air and the short-fine leg fielder dives in well to take the catch. Victory on the cards for Afghan boys.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Gulbadin strikes, Maxi is gone 😱

The single most important wicket of this match. The lone standing Messiah of the Aussies is back in the hut. Is this the game-changing moment? Length ball from Naib outside the off and Maxwell throws his bat at it. Noor Ahmad, standing at backward point dives forward and takes a stunning catch...

Afghanistan have pressed the panic button now. Misfields after misfields and they have gifted Australia truckloads of runs for free. Deja vu for the Afghan side from the 2023 WC.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: MAXI STANDS TALL!!

Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Maxwell brings up a 35-ball fifty and has kept Australia in the hunt. An exceptional innings under immense pressure when half the side is back in the pavilion.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Is Tim David Gone???

Is it another failure for Tim David? Gulbdin Naib bowls an in-swinger and it traps David on the front leg. The umpire raises his finger immediately, but it seems the ball was sliding down the leg as David reviews it.

That was a close shout as the wicket was umpire's call. Afghanistan can smell a victory now. Tim David is a goner.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: How Nabi trapped the big fish!

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: GONE, GONE, GONEEE!

Stoinis' scratchy innings comes to an end. A pain-staking 17-ball 9 and Stoinis has to walk back to the pavilion. He goes for a slog and miscues it badly and gets a top-edge. Gurbaz runs back and grabs hold of the ball. Afghanistan are back in the contest as the Aussies lose 4th wicket.

Maxwell Vs Afghanistan is one of the greatest love stories in cricket history. He seems to bring his A game against the Afghan boys and they simply can't find a way to dismiss him.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: We are living in Cummins' world!

Became the first bowler to scalp two hat-tricks in a single edition of T20 World Cup. What a bowler, take a bow, Patty Cummins!

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Warner gone, AUS in trouble!!!

This has been a great passage of play for the Afghan boys who have strangled the Aussies in their web. Tossed up ball, Warner goes for a slog sweep and gets a top-edge as the fielder at short-fine leg takes a simple catch. Upset on the cards....

Glenn Maxwell is here to play yet another special innings Vs Afghanistan. He did in T20 WC 2022 against them, he played the greatest ODI innings Vs them last year. Can he do it again?

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: BIG WICKET ALERT 🚨

Naveen, you beauty! He gets Head, and now gets the Aussie skipper, Mitch Marsh. Australia on the back-foot, just like what happened in the 2023 World Cup in India. A slower ball, as Marsh chips it in the air and finds the fielder.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: No party tonight for Head!

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: HEAD DEPARTS 😱

OHHH MY GOD! SENSATIONAL BALL FROM NAVEEN! Travis Head departs for naught. Perfectly pitched up delivery and the middle-stump goes for cartwheel as Head fails to get a bat to it. Australia on the back-foot in the first over itself.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Time for the Aussie chase!!

The two openers have made their way out. Mohammad Nabi with a pep talk before the Afghan boys entered the field. Surprisingly, Naveen-ul-Haq gets the new ball.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: God of cricket at the moment!

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: A boundary from Nabi takes AFG to 148

A boundary to finish the innings from Afghanistan and Mohammad Nabi hits it for them. They finish on 148/6 in 20 overs despite a solid 118-run opening stand. 

It's a respectable score, but they are at least 15 runs short of the par score on this wicket I believe. 

But nevertheless, they have something to defend; stay tuned for Australia's exciting chase. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Double-hattrick for Cummins!!

In the airrr and gone!! Pat Cummins records another hattrick in the T20 World Cup. What a phenomenal cricketer; this time his victims are Rashid Khan, Karim Janat and Gulbadin Naib. 

Meanwhile, David Warner drops a sitter to prevent him from getting four on four. The Aussies haven't been at their best on the field today, I must say. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Janat & Nabi's strikes help AFG finish 19th on a high

Karim Janat and Mohammad Nabi have played some scintillating shots to help Afghanistan finish the 19th over on a high. 

Meanwhile, Cummins returns to get rid of Janat, Afghanistan 141/5 in 19.1 overs. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Cummins outfoxes Rashid, Afghanistan crumble

After such a brilliant opening partnership, Afghanistan have lost wickets in clusters, with Australia tightening their grip on this match. 

Pat Cummins jolts Afghanistan with another setback as he gets Rashid Khan off a slow ball. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Zampa takes two in an over, AFG in trouble

Adam Zampa can't go wicketless, can he? A deadly googly sneaks through the bat & pad gap of Omarzai to castle him. 

He follows it up with another cracker as Ibrahim gets out while playing a big shot. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Stoinis draws the first blood for Australia

In the airrrr and taken!! Finally a wicket for Australia as Marcus Stoinis strikes with his golden arm. 

Gurbaz departs for a 49-ball 60 and the Hulk gives him a fiery send-off. 👀

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Gurbaz & Ibrahim complete fifties!

Fighting fifties from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran to keep Afghanistan on the driving seat. 

Considering the turn Australian spinners have got, we reckon 155-160 could be a match-winning score for Afghanistan, provided the hit the right areas when they bowl. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Gurbaz takes on Zampa, Aussies commit fielding blunders

Rahmanullah Gurbaz stuns Adam Zampa with a huge six before Zampa's lethal googly strikes him on his pad. 

Australia goes upstairs but an inside-edge saves the batter. Zampa outfoxes Gurbaz yet again, but Wade misses an easy stumping!! 

Oh dear, another misfield as Ashton Agar's blunder costs Australia four runs. Zampa's eventful over comes to an end. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Stoinis drops Ibrahim; Luck favouring Afghanistan

In the airrrr and dropped!! A tough chance and Marcus Stoinis fails to grab it. Zadran survives, frustration continues for Australia. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Gurbaz survives a run out scare!

Meanwhile, an accurate throw from Tim David doesn't prove sufficient to get Gurbaz run out as the keeper-batter dives while running for a brace. 

I tell you, the Afghan openers are incredibly fit. I remember once they stole four runs in an ODI vs Pakistan despite batting for as many as 35 overs. 👀

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Halfway done, Gurbaz-Ibrahim keep Australia at bay!

I think resting Mitchell Starc might have prevented Australia from getting an early wicket here, because he could've been handy with his in-swinging deliveries against Afghanistan's right-handed openers. 

The other bowlers have been accurate and have kept the run rate in check, while failing to get an wicket. 

So, Afghanistan have got the start they needed and will look to capitalise on it as we enter the second half of their innings. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Maxwell keeps the Afghans quiet

Glenn Maxwell bowls a tight over, conceding only four runs in his first over of the day. Sign of some turn off the surface; and we reckon 165-170 could be a fighting total. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Gurbaz-Ibrahim shift gears!

After Gurbaz slammed Hazlewood for a six and four, Ibrahim takes his chances against Cummins to collect two boundaries. Afghanistan are slowly getting into the groove as they post 40 runs without a wicket in the powerplay. 

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: First sixxxx of the innings!

Gurbaz blasts the first six of the match. Cummins bowls a length ball and Gurbaz says, thank you so much as he hammers it over the bowlers' head. Time to break the shackles?

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: A sedate start for the Afghan openers!

Not an easy task batting at this surface. Stroke-making is difficult and the two openers are finding it first hand. 3 overs done and dusted and only 11 runs have been scored.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Spin to win the game?

The ball is turning right from the first over and this is a sign for the things to come. It's a heaven for spinners and the likes of Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa and Rashid Khan will hold the key for their sides.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: All set for the live action!

The players are out, the umpires are ready and Ashton Agar is all set to open the proceedings for the Aussies. Tactical move to open the bowling with spin.

It is time for the national anthems as both teams make their way out. First up is the Aussie anthem...

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: ANOTHER MAXI SHOW TODAY? 👀

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Here's the Playing XIs

Australia Playing XI: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Tim David, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa

Afghanistan Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Nangeyalia Kharote, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Naveen ul Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Itsss Toss Time!!

Australia wins the toss and Marsh elects to bowl first.

Surprise, surprise, Australia have once again decided to rest Mitch Starc. Perhaps a tactical move as the Arnos Vale Stadium is a heaven for spinners. Ashton Agar comes in for Starcy.

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: Clash of the titans!!

AUS Vs AFG Live Score: We are moments away from toss!

Expect the toss winning team to bowl first. Australia, especially, have been exceptional while chasing and will fancy their chances once again.

AUS vs AFG Live Score: Team Previews

Afghanistan

On the other hand, Afghanistan, who had an outstanding start to their campaign, winning three matches on the trot, haven't been at their best in the last two outings. 

After losing their final group-stage match against West Indies, Afghanistan surrendered to India in to kickstart their Super Eight journey on a rough note. 

Despite losing the India game, Rashid Khan and co can't be taken lightly by Australia, considering what they did to their Trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand, in the group-stage.

Barring the swashbuckling Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the onus will be on the in-form Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid Khan and the all-rounders to force an upset. 

AUS vs AFG Live Score: Team Previews

Australia

Led by Mitch Marsh, Australia have been unbeaten in the competition, courtesy of spectacular team efforts in all games. 

After securing a Super Eights spot with a four-match winning streak, the mighty Aussies were too hot to handle for Bangladesh in their previous fixture. 

With a rampant batting order and formidable bowling attack, Australia would like to sustain their dominance as they gear up to meet the spirited Afghans. 

Hello and welcome to OneCricket's live blog for the high-voltage T20 World Cup encounter between Australia and Afghanistan. Both teams have had a phenomenal journey in the tournament and considering a semifinal spot is up for grabs, we expect an absolute nail-biter at Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent.