Afghanistan’s squad advances to the T20 World Cup semifinal, sparking wild celebrations

Afghanistan has advanced to its first-ever World Cup semifinal, and supporters are taking to the streets from Kabul to Kandahar and Khost to Laghman

After the predawn prayers, Zikria, a 30-year-old resident of Kabul, stayed up to watch Afghanistan’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 virtual knockout match versus Bangladesh, which got underway at 5am (00:30 GMT).

After four and a half hours and numerous weather delays, Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh in an exciting match to secure their first-ever competition semifinal berth.

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Zikria told Al Jazeera, “I continued to pray [for Afghanistan] throughout the match.” “My captain Rashid Khan, my team, and the entire support staff make me proud.”

Celebrations broke out across the cricket-mad Asian nation shortly after Naveenul Haq dismissed Mustafizur Rahman to guarantee Afghanistan’s spot in the final four.