Afghanistan erupts in celebration as team reaches T20 World Cup semi-finals | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup News

Fans take to the streets from Kabul to Kandahar and from Khost to Laghman as Afghanistan reaches its first World Cup semi-final.

Zikria, a 30-year-old Kabul resident, stayed up after pre-dawn prayers to watch Afghanistan’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 virtual qualifier against Bangladesh, which kicked off at 5am (0030 GMT).

Four and a half hours and several rain interruptions later, Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh in a thrilling contest to mark their first semi-final appearance of the tournament.

“I kept praying [for Afghanistan] throughout the match,” Zikria told Al Jazeera. “I am proud of my team, my captain Rashid Khan and the entire support team.”

Shortly after Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Mustafizur Rahman to book Afghanistan’s place in the semi-finals, celebrations broke out in several parts of the cricket-mad Asian country.

Look what this success means to us! #AfghanAtalan | #T20WorldCup | #AFGvBAN | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/loBZ6nW4e0

– Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) June 25, 2024

‘Praying to win the final’

Fans, mostly men, took to the streets and city centers to support the team.

The victory was hailed by the Taliban government that took power in the country after the withdrawal of US forces almost three years ago.

Cricket is by far the most popular sport in the country and often brings joy to the people of Afghanistan, who have witnessed nearly four decades of war as well as economic and political instability.

Afghanistan’s victory also eliminated former champions Australia, who twice withdrew from a bilateral series against the Afghanistan men’s team, citing the “deterioration of human rights for women and girls in the country under Taliban rule”, but still made advances against them at ICC events.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi congratulated Rashid and his team in a video posted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board on X.

Muttaqi spoke to Rashid via video call and the beaming captain received his congratulations.

Abdullah, a 20-year-old fan from Kabul, said the victory was a “dream come true” for him.

“I can’t express my feelings right now, I’m emotional,” said the visibly emotional fan a few hours after the match ended. “Now we hope and pray to win the final.”

Afghanistan has never reached the knockout stages of any ICC World Cup. Their best T20 World Cup result so far has been reaching the second round three times. They have yet to progress past the first round of the Over-50 World Cup.

‘Huge inspiration for young people in Afghanistan’

Rashid led from the front as he hit three important sixes in his innings of 19 and then took four wickets as Afghanistan won by eight runs.

“It’s a great achievement for us as a team and as a nation to be in the semi-finals,” said the 25-year-old after the match. “[This win] will be a great inspiration for the young people of Afghanistan.”

Another fan, Imran, 22, believes that all of Afghanistan was praying for the team.

“I have no words [to express my joy],” he told Al Jazeera in Kabul.

Fans, regardless of age, were seen celebrating.

Photos and videos on social media showed wild celebrations in several parts of the country, including Khost, Jalalabad and Laghman province, as well as in the city of Kandahar.

Some danced in the streets, while others shouted: “Long live Afghanistan cricket”.

Aerial gunfire, a common celebratory practice in some parts of the world, could also be seen as fans watched the game on big screens in city centers.

Afghanistan will face South Africa in the first semi-final on June 27th at 00:30 GMT.

Everything in the next one!!

This is for every fan who believed in us and kept us going #ICC #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/vQREijaoQn

-Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) June 25, 2024

Additional reporting by Mohsin Khan Momand in Kabul.