The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 has reached its business end with only four teams remaining. The biggest story of the tournament is undeniably Afghanistan making it to its first-ever semi-final at an ICC event. Gone are the days when Afghanistan was considered a minnow. They are in it to win it as they face a spirited South African side eager to shed the 'chokers' tag in Trinidad. Here’s how both teams match up in their bids for a berth in the all-important final.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan has had a fairly dominant tournament, particularly with the ball. Led by the mercurial Rashid Khan, Afghanistan has been brilliant across all phases. They have three bowlers with thirteen wickets or more this tournament, with Fazalhaq Farooqi leading the overall bowling charts with 16. But they aren’t a one-trick pony by any means. Their batters have had their moments as well, with the opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran scoring 510 runs between them. With ample depth also to fall back on, Afghanistan will fancy its chances of securing a maiden ICC T20 World Cup final berth.

Predicted XI: Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim, Naib, Omarzai, Nabi, Janat, Rashid (c), Naveen, Noor, Fazalhaq

South Africa

South Africa, on the other hand, is unbeaten in this tournament. However, the Proteas have been inconsistent and not fully convincing, barely getting past England and minnows USA and Nepal. Like Afghanistan, South Africa has relied on its bowling might, particularly its pace attack, with Anrich Nortje picking up 11 wickets. Their batting unit has shown glimpses of brilliance, but given the vast experience and talent their top six boasts of, South Africa may well start as the favorites.

Predicted XI: de Kock (wk), Reeza, Markram (c), Klaasen, Miller, Stubbs, Jansen, Maharaj, Nortje, Shamsi

Key Match-Ups

Klaasen vs Rashid

Rashid Khan comes into this game fresh off a match-winning spell against Bangladesh. But he is up against Heinrich Klaasen, one of the premier spin-hitters in the world. Although Klaasen hasn’t been particularly prolific in this tournament, he has the experience and expertise to take down Rashid, making for a key match-up.

Jansen vs Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the leading run-scorer in the T20 World Cup at the time of writing. He has been crucial to Afghanistan’s fortunes, scoring three fifties in seven games. He is up against another elite talent in Marco Jansen, who has been inconsistent at times. However, Jansen can swing the ball both ways and has a knack for taking wickets with the new ball. With Gurbaz likely to go hard in the powerplay, the result of this battle could significantly impact the outcome of the game.

This semi-final clash promises to be a thrilling encounter as both teams vie for a spot in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final. It will be a historic moment, as neither of these teams has ever played in a T20 World Cup final.

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