3 massive mistakes that cost New Zealand the game vs Afghanistan in 2024 T20 World Cup
New Zealand had a shocking start to their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign as they lost to Afghanistan by 84 runs in Guyana on Friday, June 7. Chasing 160 to win, Kane Williamson and co. were bundled out for just 75 in what was utter dominance from Afghanistan.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (80 off 56) once again played a lead role in getting Afghanistan to a competitive total as they racked up 159/6 in their 20 overs. In reply, the Kiwis didn't get any momentum whatsoever as they were floored by Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqui, who took four wickets each and coasted to victory.
On that note, let's take a look at the three reasons why New Zealand lost a T20I to Afghanistan for the first time:
#3 New Zealand winning the toss and opting to bowl first
The conditions in Guyana suggested that Afghanistan's bowling would have that extra edge with the grip in the surface. Perhaps that's why Kane Williamson's decision to win the toss and opt to bowl first seemed perplexing.
While Afghanistan batted well to post a target of 160, their quality spinners got a total on the board because of the opportunity presented to their batters. New Zealand perhaps expected dew to be a factor, which didn't happen and the pitch kept playing tricks. It also suggested that batting first and having runs on the board would have had Afghanistan under more pressure in the chase.
#2 Dropped catches and sloppy fielding
Normally among the best fielding sides around the world, New Zealand were surprisingly sloppy in the field as they dropped several catches and also missed the big run-out chance of Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Wicketkeeper Devon Conway could have run out the dangerman had he collected the ball cleanly with his gloves.
Ibrahim Zadran got a couple of let-offs in the field that allowed him to add 103 runs for the first wicket alongside Gurbaz. One may argue that the Afghans wouldn't have posted a target of 160 had New Zealand had a great day in the field.
#1 Baffling shot selection
The way Afghanistan's innings faltered at the backend, the Kiwis could have taken a hint that they had to be smarter in their shot selection. However, Finn Allen went for a big booming straight drive without covering for the swing and Devon Conway was caught at short covers due to a lose shot.
Kane Williamson almost guided the ball straight into the hands of first slip off Rashid Khan, while the likes of Mark Chapman were cleaned up while playing across the line. The writing was already on the wall when the Kiwis were reeling at 43/6. As Williamson told the host broadcaster after the game, New Zealand will need to move on from the defeat as soon as possible.