The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 has narrowed down to its final four, with the semi-final line-up ready to set the stage ablaze. Today, we delve into the top parlay picks for the 1st semi-final clash between South Africa and Afghanistan, scheduled at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad on June 27.
Before we get there, let’s revisit the journey of these two teams to the final four of the tournament. The competition, hosted across the United States and the Caribbean since June 1st, began with 20 teams divided into four groups in the first round, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super Eight stage. These eight teams were then split into two groups, from which India and Afghanistan (Group 1) and South Africa and England (Group 2) secured their spots in the semi-finals.
This semi-final clash is a historic affair as one of South Africa and Afghanistan will go on to play the final of a major ICC tournament for the first time ever. Their journey to this point has been pretty impressive in different ways.
South Africa, who have had a history of losing their nerves in crunch situations, have won almost all their games in the ongoing tournament by narrow margins. They have been undefeated in the competition, winning all seven games so far. In the Super Eight stage, they defeated the USA, England and West Indies. The last game was a virtual knockout for them and they won by three wickets after rain reduced the second innings to 17 overs. Tabraiz Shamsi snared 3 for 27 in four overs while Marco Jansen remained unbeaten on 21 off 17 to take his side over the line.
Afghanistan’s path to the semi-finals has been nothing short of inspiring, and it started with victories over Uganda, PNG and New Zealand in the group stage. Following a defeat to India in the first Super Eight game, they pulled off a massive upset over Australia by 21 runs. In the final Group 2 match, Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh by eight runs in a low-scoring thriller, with Rashid Khan picking 4 for 23 and Naveen-ul-Haq claiming 4 for 26.
Afghanistan’s run to the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals has been a fantastic story. As a newer team at this level, Afghanistan impressed everyone with their determination and skill, especially in the fast-paced T20 format.
Their journey to the semifinals has been filled with tactical brilliance and spirited efforts from the entire group, which have gained them respect worldwide. They’ve beaten stronger teams by playing smart, especially with their strong spin bowling that works well on the slow pitches they’ve encountered. Beyond the sport, their success has brought a lot of joy and pride to their home country, a place that has faced many hardships. With the semifinals ahead, the Afghan team is not just playing for a win but also carrying the hopes and pride of their country, showing everyone how far they’ve come.
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Afghanistan to win
Afghanistan to beat South Africa at odds of 3.41 (22Bet)
These two teams have faced each other only twice in the shorter format, with the last encounter taking place way back in 2016. On paper, South Africa have a stronger squad and they head into this game as heavy favourites at odds of 1.38 on 22Bet.
Afghanistan’s batting relies on Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, while the Proteas have some terrific batters in Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs and David Miller. They also have a strong pace attack with the likes of Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen.
However, the pitches in Tarouba, Trinidad tend to be slow and gripping, making Afghanistan’s bowling attack ideal for these conditions. The trio of Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-haq has been outstanding in the tournament while Noor Ahmad will also pose a huge threat to South Africa batters. You can take a punt on Afghanistan winning at odds of 3.41 on 22Bet.
Rashid Khan performance points TO 30.5
Rashid Khan to score over 30.5 performance points in the match at odds of 1.90 (BetWinner)
Rashid Khan was exceptional in Afghanistan’s opening Super Eight clash against India, bagging 3 for 26 in his four-over spell, and followed it up with 1 for 23 against Australia. In the previous game versus Bangladesh, he scored an unbeaten 19 off 10 with the bat and went on to claim 4 for 23 with the ball.
Rashid has taken 14 wickets from seven games in the T20 World Cup 2024 at an impressive economy rate of 6.10, including two four-wicket hauls. The slow, gripping pitches at Tarouba offer significant assistance to spinners and he should enjoy bowling here. Bet on Rashid to score over 30.5 performance points at odds of 1.90 on BetWinner.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz top Afghanistan batter
Rahmanullah Gurbaz to be the top Afghanistan batter at odds of 3.60 (22Bet)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been one of the biggest reasons behind Afghanistan reaching the semi-finals. He is the leading run-scorer in the tournament, having scored 281 runs from seven innings at an average 40 while striking at 126, including three half centuries.
Gurbaz smashed 76 off 45 deliveries against Uganda and 80 off 56 versus New Zealand in the group stage. In the Super Eight stage, he struck 60 off 49 against Australia and made 43 in the last game. Considering his overall form, you can back Gurbaz to be the top batter for Afghanistan at 3.60 on 22Bet.
Reeza Hendricks performance points TO 20.5 runs
Reeza Hendricks to score under 20.5 runs in the match at odds of 1.85 (20Bet)
The South African opener has had a terrible time in the ongoing T20 World Cup, managing only 80 runs across seven innings at an average of 11 and strike rate of 81. He made a laboured 43 against Nepal, with his other scores reading 4, 3, 0, 11, 19 and 0.
On a pitch where batting won’t be an easy task, Reeza Hendricks will have to deal with an in-form bowling unit of Afghanistan. Given the conditions and his current form, you can bet on Hendricks scoring less than 20.5 runs in the match at odds of 1.85 on 20Bet.
South Africa to hit most sixes
South Africa to hit the most number of sixes at the odds of 1.80 (20Bet)
South Africa boasts of some excellent hitters in their line-up such as Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markram and David Miller. The team has 34 sixes in the tournament compared to 37 by Afghanistan but South Africa have played on more difficult pitches.
Afghanistan rely on Rahmanullah Gurbaz for six-hitting, with the opening batter smashing 16 sixes in the tournament. You can bet on South Africa to hit the most number of sixes at odds of 1.80 on 20Bet.
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- Over 50,000 events per month
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