"We will always remember this T20 World Cup" - An emotional Rashid Khan after semifinal defeat to South Africa
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan penned a heartfelt note for the fans after his team lost the T20 World Cup semifinal against South Africa in Trinidad on Wednesday, June 26. It was the culmination of a memorable campaign for Afghanistan, who had made it to the semifinals of an ICC event for the first time.
The Afghans had some massive wins in the T20 World Cup, especially over New Zealand in the group stage and then the big one against Australia in the Super 8s. The thrilling triumph against Bangladesh on Monday night sealed their path to the semifinal.
An emotional Rashid Khan took to Instagram to post some pictures of Afghanistan's campaign and expressed how proud he was of the hard work put in by each of his teammates. He vowed to come back even stronger and captioned the post:
"We will always remember this #T20WorldCup ! The fight put ahead by each and every one of this team is commendable and I’m really proud of all of us! We will continue to build from here and comeback with more grit in the next one 💪Thank you to each and everyone who believed in us and helped us to keep the fight on 💙 #ICC #WorldCup."
Afghanistan found it tough to compete in the semifinal as they were bundled out for just 56. In reply, South Africa coasted to the target in 8.5 overs.
Rashid Khan shared his thoughts after the game
Speaking to the host broadcaster after the game, Rashid Khan explained just how much Afghanistan enjoyed competing with and beating some of the best teams in the world. The 25-year-old also spoke about the belief his players will carry into future tournaments. He said:
"We have enjoyed a lot. We would have taken playing in the semi-final against South Africa before the tournament. Beating big teams in this competition was really special. It's just the start. We showed we are capable of beating anyone. Next time in such a tournament, the belief would be there with us."
South Africa will now await the winners of the second semifinal between India and England to be played in Guyana in a few hours' time (June 27).