Are New Zealand eliminated from the 2024 T20 World Cup after Afghanistan's win over PNG?
New Zealand have been eliminated from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 despite having two group games left. The blow came after Afghanistan defeated Papua New Guinea (PNG) by seven wickets in Trinidad on Friday, June 14.
The Kiwis had an awful start to the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA. The Afghans comprehensively beat them in their first game. Chasing 160 runs, the Blackcaps were bundled out for 75, losing the match by 84 runs.
In the following game against the Windies, New Zealand had the match under control at one point. However, some lusty hits from Sherfane Rutherford and a collective bowling performance from the West Indies meant the Kiwis ended on the losing side.
They were stranded at the bottom of the points table with zero points from two games. New Zealand needed Afghanistan to lose against PNG to keep their Super 8 hopes alive. However, Rashid Khan and company outplayed PNG to crash the Kiwis' hope of making it to the Super 8.
With the win, the Afghans are placed at the top of Group C with six points. They have made it to the Super 8 alongside the West Indies, who also have six points in their kitty,
The Kiwi will get to a maximum of four points even if they win their remaining two group games, which is not enough to see them through to the Super 8.
"Yeah, frustrating, absolutely, to start the way we have" - New Zealand skipper after defeat to the West Indies
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson admitted that they failed to start the tournament as they would have liked but asserted that the Kiwis need to play good cricket in the remaining two games.
"Yeah, frustrating, absolutely, to start the way we have. The conditions are the same for everybody, so it's trying to learn. We've got a game again [vs Uganda] quite quickly and so we need to get better for the experience, we need to put out improved performances and gain that knowledge," Williamson said in a press conference.
New Zealand will next be in action when they take on Uganda at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on Saturday, June 15.