Afghanistan have beaten the West Indies by six runs in the World T20 Super 10 stage in Nagpur to end the tournament on a high.
Afghanistan batted first and struggled to 56-5 before late hitting from Najib Zadran who finished 48 not out to get his team to a decent total of 123-7. The West Indies run chase never got going and the Afghanistan bowlers kept taking wickets throughout to shock the Windies and finally get a win that their performances have deserved throughout the tournament.
West Indies won the toss and choose to bowl first
West Indies captain Darren Sammy won this toss for the fourth game in a row and chose to bowl first something they have done all tournament. The team news was interesting with Chris Gayle being rested for the game with debutant Evin Lewis coming in as his replacement. Afghanistan made two changes for the game with Shapoor Zadran and Noor Ali Zadran being left out for Hamid Hassan and Usman Ghani.
The Afghanistan innings didn't get off to the best of starts in the power play as Samuel Badree took two wickets. The first wicket he got was that of Ghani bowled for four of six balls and then in the sixth over of the power play he got the dangerous Mohammed Shehzad caught by Sulieman Benn for 24 of 22 balls to leave the score on 33-2.
Three more quick wickets fell for Afghanistan in quick succession just as it looked like a partnership was going to be built. Asghar Stanikzai was the third wicket to fall to Badree for 16 off 22 as he was caught on the boundary by Dwayne Bravo. Samiullah Shenwari was the fourth wicket to fall this time to Benn who got him for one of three balls caught by Sammy. Gulbadin Naib didn't last very long either as he was out to Sammy for eight of 14 balls to leave the score on 56-5 in the twelve over.
Najib Zadran smahes 48 to get Afghanistan to 123
Mohammed Nabi came in at number seven for Afghanistan and put on a decent partnership with Najib before Nabi was out. Andre Russell got the wicket of Nabi for nine of eight balls caught by Marlon Samuels to leave the score on 90-6 in the 17th over.
West Indies took one further wicket before the end of innings that of Shafiqullah Shafaq for four of four balls. A late splurge of hitting from Najib got his team up to 123-7 as the batsman ended the innings 48 not out to give his team something to bowl at.
Afghanistan take wickets consistently throughout the West Indies innings
In reply, the West Indies run chase got off to a slow start in the power play by losing two wickets. The first wicket to fall was that of Lewis for a duck of seven balls of the bowling of Amir Hamza. The second wicket to fall was Johnson Charles for a brisk 22 of 15 balls bowled by Hassan to leave the score on 34-2.
Afghanistan got their third wicket not long after and it was the big wicket of Samuels for five of five balls of the bowling of leg-spinner Rashid Khan to leave the West Indies on the back foot at 38-3.
Dinesh Ramdin and Bravo then came together at the fall of the third wicket and put on a good partnership of 41 before Bravo was gone LBW to Nabi for 28 of 29 balls. Ramdin didn't last much longer either as he was out stumped off the bowling of Rashid for 18 of 24 balls to leave the score on 89-5 after 16 overs.
Russell then joined captain Sammy at the crease but didn't last very long as he was run out by Shehzad for seven of nine balls. Sammy then fell shortly after that for the West Indies of the bowling of Naib for six of ten balls caught by Shenwari on the boundary to leave the team on 107-7.
Afghanistan finally get a win by six runs
Afghanistan took one more wicket in for final over that of Carlos Brathwaite for 13 of eight balls and managed to keep the West Indies 117-8 of their 20 overs to win by six runs a moment they will never forget. West Indies despite falling to defeat still end top of the group were they will either play India or Australia in the semi-finals.