T20 World Cup: India crash out as Kiwis beat Afghanistan to enter semis

Kane Williamson
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson in action. Photo: AFP

Abu Dhabi: India were sent packing from the T20 World Cup after a clinical New Zealand clinched a facile eight-wicket win over Afghanistan in their final Super 12 game to claim the last available semifinal spot here on Sunday.

India's slim hopes hinged on Afghanistan upstaging the Black Caps as that would have brought the net run rate into equation and opened the doors for Virat Kohli's men, who only have themselves to blame for the ouster now.

The Kiwis were favourites to win on the day and they hardly put a foot wrong, chasing down a small target of 125 in just 18.1 overs to join England, Australia and Pakistan in the last-four stage.

Sunday's result renders India's final league engagement against Namibia on Monday inconsequential. India were outplayed in their first two Super 12 matches by Pakistan and New Zealand, which proved to be their undoing.

Kane Williamson's men, who won four of their five Super 12 matches, will be up against England in the first semifinal on Wednesday.

Openers Daryl Mitchell (17), caught behind by Mohammad Shahzad off Mujeeb ur Rahman, and Martin Guptill (28), who became Rashid Khan's 400th wicket in T20 cricket, were the only New Zealand wickets to fall in the afternoon match.

Williamson (40 not out, 42 balls, 3 fours) looked unhurried during his knock and his half-century partnership for the third wicket with Devon Conway (36 not out) guided the team home.

They negotiated the spin threat posed by Rashid, Mujeeb and Mohammed Nabi quite well to ensure that there was no drama.

New Zealand
New Zealand players celebrate a wicket. Photo: AFP


Earlier, New Zealand pacers, led by Trent Boult (3/17), dished out a clinical performance to restrict Afghanistan to 124/8 in their final Super 12 match.

Afghanistan, who needed to win to keep their semifinal hopes alive, reached the total mainly due to the efforts of Najibullah Zadran (73 off 48 balls). Zadran stood out in a rather tepid display by the rest of his teammates.

He struck six fours and three sixes during his brilliant innings.

The Kiwi pace trio of Boult, Tim Southee (2/24) and Adam Milne (1/17) did not give anything away in the initial overs as the Afghan batters struggled to get going and in trying to force the pace of their innings.

Najibullah Zadran
Najibullah Zadran waged a lone battle. Photo: AFP


Ish Sodhi (1/13) and Jimmy Neesham (1/24) were the other New Zealand wicket-takers. Neesham conceded only two runs from the final over of the Afghanistan innings.

 

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