In a landmark victory at the Guyana National Stadium on Friday, Afghanistan secured a commanding 84-run win over New Zealand, marking their first-ever triumph against the Kiwis in T20 internationals. Afghanistan’s captain and star spinner Rashid Khan described the win as “one of our greatest performances in T20.” Rashid played a pivotal role, taking 4 for 17 – figures matched by left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi – as New Zealand collapsed for just 75 in 15.2 overs, chasing a target of 159.

Batting brilliance from Gurbaz and Zadran

Afghanistan’s significant win was set up by a century opening partnership between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. Gurbaz scored a commanding 80 off 56 balls, while Zadran contributed a steady 44 off 41 balls on a tricky surface in Guyana. Despite a slow start, with only 55 runs coming in the first 10 overs, the pair gradually increased the scoring rate from the 11th over bowled by Michael Bracewell, eventually leading Afghanistan to a par-plus total of 159 for six.

“It’s one of the greatest performances from us, especially in T20s against a big team New Zealand. It was a great team effort, not just the bowling…,” Rashid said. “The way Ibrahim and Gurbaz started again, the wicket was not easy. They did not throw away their wickets in overs 7-10. But the way they played, they didn’t throw away their wickets early on when they had a few dot balls from overs seven to nine. I think that was the time when they thought about taking it deep. Overall it was a great effort, great win for Afghanistan and it’s a great feeling to be leading this side and winning against New Zealand.”

“It’s something we have discussed before coming into the competition. Anything around 160-170 we score on this track, with the bowling unit we have, we will give tough time to the opposition. We knew there was support for the bowlers in the wicket. As long as we keep things simple and hit the right areas consistently, it was going to be more effective for us, and that’s what happened,” Rashid said.

“The spinners and especially the seamers, the way they started bowling and then [Mohammad] Nabi the second over, that gave us a very positive sign for the spinners that the ball is turning. Dew was there but still bowling tight, wicket to wicket, and the skills as a bowling unit we have, if we use our skills [to the potential], it’s going to be very hard for the opposition to score 160.”

Gurbaz and Zadran made the most of their opportunities, stitching together a 103-run association. Rashid Khan noted that a score of about 160-170 was considered par in conditions offering swing, seam, and spin, and Afghanistan had the perfect attack to apply scoreboard pressure.

Bowling dominance by Rashid and Farooqi

New Zealand’s chase faltered dramatically, with Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi both taking four wickets for 17 runs. Farooqi set the tone by dismissing Finn Allen with the very first ball of the New Zealand innings. Rashid Khan’s pivotal dismissal of Kane Williamson with his first ball further solidified Afghanistan’s dominance.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson had previously termed Afghanistan’s bowling unit as one of the better ones in the competition. However, his team was outplayed in all facets of the game. Williamson admitted that despite some players lacking game time, there were no excuses for their poor performance. The Black Caps were uncharacteristically poor in the field, dropping two catches and missing a run-out.

This victory, Afghanistan’s second to start the World Cup, positions them strongly to progress out of a tricky Group C, which includes other leading contenders like the West Indies and New Zealand. On the other hand, the defeat leaves the Black Caps vulnerable, with their Net Run Rate (NRR) at -4.2. Their next game against the co-hosts of the tournament may determine their fate in advancing to the next round.

“It’s the opportunities we had and we didn’t take and on a surface like that, it goes a long way to changing the score and the outcome. We had a couple of overs to perhaps keep it something defendable but we needed to get a lot right in the second innings with what was on offer and they executed really well,” Williamson said.

“The most frustrating part, I think, was the fielding in the first ten overs. It’s difficult on a wicket like that when you are not putting it together in the field, to restrict opposition teams. We certainly had opportunities in that first half and we didn’t take it. They simply outplayed us in all facets of the game. To get a total like that on a fiddly surface, they kept wickets in hand and played it beautifully. From our perspective, it wasn’t good enough in terms of starting a tournament. It’s very frustrating, but it’s a quick turnaround for us now, we have to regroup quickly and move on to our next challenge.”

“I think it is about taking a step in the right direction first,” Williamson said of their next match. “Our performance was not good enough and we expected more from ourselves, and we know we are better than that. We know we’ve got another big challenge coming up, and the West Indies are playing fantastic cricket. For us it is about putting together a performance we can be proud of and gives us the best chance.”

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Williamson acknowledged the comprehensive nature of the defeat, emphasizing that Afghanistan had outperformed them in all areas. The New Zealand captain emphasized the need for his team to regroup and improve their performance in the crucial upcoming matches.