WI vs AFG Highlights, T20 World Cup: West Indies beat Afghanistan ...

T20 World Cup

West Indies (WI) vs Afghanistan (AFG) ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Highlights: West Indies will go into the Super 8 unbeaten after beating Afghanistan by 104 runs at the Daren Sammy Stadium.

09:38 IST:

Right then, that is it from this one-sided affair and the group stages as well. Next up in the World Cup is the Super-8 stages. In the first match, it will be the co-hosts, USA taking on South Africa on 19th June, Wednesday. That will begin at 8 pm IST (2.30 pm GMT), but as you know, you can always join us early for all the build-up to the game. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

09:41 IST:

Rovman Powell, the victorious skipper of West Indies says that it feels very good to finish unbeaten. Says the hard work they have been putting in for the last year or so is paying off. Adds that the guys are always excited to play in the Caribbean and St. Lucia is one of the best batting surfaces in the tournament. He appreciates Pooran saying that he has worked very hard and he set a solid foundation for them in the game. Adds that they started the tournament with a little advantage of the home conditions. Mentions that when he started his journey as the captain, they were ranked 8th and now they are 3rd in the world. Says the support has been incredible wherever they have gone. Also thanks his head coach, Darren Sammy for being the driving force in his journey as the skipper.

09:36 IST:

Rashid Khan, the captain of Afghanistan says that West Indies batted really well in the Powerplay and it is hard to come back when you conceded 90 runs in the first six overs. Adds that they still bowled well in the middle overs to restrict them under 220 considering the start they got. Mentions that it is important how they execute their plans with the ball and they will take a lot of learnings from this game. Says that it is good that it has happened at this stage of the tournament and it will help them understand how to play in the upcoming matches. Further adds that the strong breeze was a factor and as a bowler, you need to consider which side to bowl and keep the overs under 10 runs. Ends by saying that, they still had a lot of positives from this match.

09:29 IST:

Nicholas Pooran is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his scintillating knock of 98. He begins by saying that you don't want to get run out after being on 97 but says in the end, you need to take your team to a good total. Says they assessed the conditions properly and he felt that it was his day and just made it big. Says in T20 cricket everyone wants to see fours and sixes but states it is not that easy to get it done in each and every game. Ends by saying that they have been really consistent not only in this World Cup, but in the last 13-14 months and also climbed to the 3rd spot in the ICC rankings. Ends up appreciating Sherfane Rutherford and says that his knock in the last game really inspired them.

09:21 IST:

Presentation Time...

09:25 IST:

Earlier in the game, West Indies post a record-breaking total on the board courtesy of a swash-buckling 98 from Nicholas Pooran along with some quick-fire knocks from Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, and Rovman Powell. Afghanistan were pretty ordinary with the ball and they wouldn't have hoped for a performance like this just before the Super 8s. Gulbadin Naib was the pick of the bowlers with a couple of wickets while Noor Ahmad was economical as well. Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with one each but were very expensive while Rashid Khan also had an off day in this game. While chasing, the Afghans were never really in it and in the end fell short by 104 runs.

09:24 IST:

West Indies, on the other hand, were brilliant with the ball right from the start. Akeal Hosein once again got an early breakthrough and set the tone for them. The Afghans built up a little partnership that was broken by Gudakesh Motie. Obed McCoy was excellent as well who played his first match of the World Cup and picked up three wickets including two in the same over. Hosein added one more to his tally while Alzarri Joseph also got one. It was just a matter of time before it was Andre Russell who wrapped things up for the Windies.

09:17 IST:

Afghanistan were rocked early when Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a duck in the very first over. Ibrahim Zadran took the initiative and played a few lusty blows but was dismissed at the wrong time for them. After that, except for Azmatullah Omarzai no one really could make any sort of impact, and they suffered a huge collapse in the middle which has been a concern for them for a long time now. Rashid Khan did score a few boundaries towards the end, but to be honest we all knew that was never going to be enough here.

09:16 IST:

WEST INDIES THRASHES AFGHANISTAN IN ST. LUCIA! Darren Sammy will be a proud coach to see his team perform like this in his own stadium. It was really a demolition job from the Windies and the crowd here has been thoroughly entertained. Even though this result does not affect Afghanistan, they would have hoped to put on a strong challenge to the home team.

09:11 IST:

16.2: Andre Russell to Rashid Khan, OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! DONE AND DUSTED! A real Caribbean flare! West Indies win in style by a mammoth margin of 104 runs! 8 wins on the trot and the longest winning streak in the T20Is for the Men In Maroon. Fuller-length delivery, in the slot and there to be hit. Rashid Khan clears his front foot to open up the off side and hoist it over and across the line, but slices and swirls it up high in the night sky. West Indian skipper, Rovman Powell from long off runs ahead towards the mid off region and settles underneath it, keeping his eyes on the ball till end, and takes a good catch. West Indies maintain a clean sheet and wrap up the group stage as the table toppers, with four back-to-back commanding victories.

09:10 IST:

16.1: Andre Russell to Rashid Khan, SIX! Cracker of a shot that! Short in length, on the top of the stumps, Rashid Khan reads the length properly, gets in position quickly and pulls it well over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

09:09 IST:

15.6: Alzarri Joseph to Fazalhaq Farooqi, Good gas! Steams in from over the wicket, and fires in a fuller length ball, on the middle and leg. Fazalhaq Farooqi backs away and knocks it back to the bowler.

09:09 IST:

15.6: Alzarri Joseph to Fazalhaq Farooqi, WIDE! Short and just outside the leg stump line, Fazalhaq Farooqi half-ducks at it and leaves.

09:08 IST:

15.5: Alzarri Joseph to Fazalhaq Farooqi, Short and banged into the pitch, angling into the batter. Farooqi backs away from the line of the ball and tries to escape from it, putting the bat in the air. The ball hits the upper half of the bat and drops to the off side. 

09:06 IST:

Fazalhaq Farooqi is the last man in.

09:07 IST:

15.4: Alzarri Joseph to Naveen-ul-Haq, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Sensational bowling this! West Indies just a solitary wicket away from a commanding win. Alzarri Joseph cannons a vicious bumper, angling on the bodyline that comes through very quickly. Naveen-ul-Haq is caught up in an awkward position as he looks to eventually duck it but he keeps the bat in the air and the ball takes off the edge, and flies towards the right of Nicholas Pooran who leaps to his left and tumbles with the momentum but keeps the ball in the gloves. 

09:05 IST:

15.3: Alzarri Joseph to Rashid Khan, Short of a good length, on off, Rashid Khan drags the pull shot to deep mid-wicket for a single.

09:05 IST:

15.2: Alzarri Joseph to Rashid Khan, Angles it down the leg side, keeps a bit low on the bounce, Rashid Khan sits to duck but it stings on his back and carries back to the keeper.

09:04 IST:

15.1: Alzarri Joseph to Rashid Khan, FOUR! Over the keeper, one bounce and boundary! Short in length, on the bodyline, Rashid Khan bends for a pull shot and slices it over short fine for a boundary.

09:03 IST:

14.6: Gudakesh Motie to Naveen-ul-Haq, Touch full and angles into the batter with the arm, Naveen-ul-Haq presses forward and gets the inside edge of the bat onto the pads. 

09:03 IST:

14.5: Gudakesh Motie to Naveen-ul-Haq, A muted appeal for LBW but just for a moment. Angles it in again, on off, Naveen-ul-Haq comes ahead and gets beaten on the inside edge and the ball pings his pad.

09:02 IST:

14.4: Gudakesh Motie to Naveen-ul-Haq, Angles it on off, full in length, Naveen-ul-Haq blocks it off.

09:02 IST:

14.3: Gudakesh Motie to Naveen-ul-Haq, On a length angling in with the arm, Naveen-ul-Haq rocks back and chops it in the off side. 

09:02 IST:

14.2: Gudakesh Motie to Naveen-ul-Haq, FOUR! 100 up for Afghanistan! Gudakesh Motie bowls it on a flatter trajectory on off, Naveen-ul-Haq arches back and cuts it very late and fine for a boundary at deep third.

09:02 IST:

Naveen-ul-Haq is in at number 10.

09:00 IST:

14.1: Gudakesh Motie to Noor Ahmad, OUT! TAKEN! Gudakesh Motie gets his second now! Tossed up, full and on middle, turns away a bit, Noor Ahmad tries a variant of the helicopter shot but fails to get any sort of timing on that, the ball goes up in the air towards long on where Sherfane Rutherford pouches it safely. This inning or Afghanistan is going nowhere!

09:00 IST:

Gudakesh Motie (3-0-24-1) is back.

09:00 IST:

13.6: Andre Russell to Noor Ahmad, A good yorker now, on middle, Noor Ahmad digs it through square leg for one.

08:59 IST:

13.5: Andre Russell to Noor Ahmad, Very full and on off, Noor Ahmad goes for the big shot but misses.

08:58 IST:

13.4: Andre Russell to Rashid Khan, Takes pace off again, length too, on off, Rashid Khan pats it down towards covers for another run.

08:57 IST:

13.3: Andre Russell to Noor Ahmad, On a length and on off, Noor Ahmad guides it towards third man for a run.

08:57 IST:

13.2: Andre Russell to Rashid Khan, Slower, full again and on middle, Rashid Khan lofts it on the bounce to long on for a single.

08:57 IST:

13.1: Andre Russell to Rashid Khan, FOUR! Good shot! Andre Russell goes full and around off, Rashid Khan gets the chance to free his arms and smacks it over extra covers for a boundary.

08:55 IST:

12.6: Akeal Hosein to Rashid Khan, Flatter, short and on off, Rashid Khan cuts again towards point where Brandon King lets it through for a single.

08:55 IST:

Noor Ahmad is in at number 9.

08:55 IST:

12.5: Akeal Hosein to Rashid Khan, OUT! RUN OUT! It is going from bad to worse for Afghanistan! Akeal Hosein flights this up, full and on off, Rashid Khan steers it towards point, Karim Janat sets off for the run and comes a long way but he is sent back, he slips while retreating and falls on the pitch, Brandon King picks up and throws it to the bowler who takes the bails off with the batter nowhere near the crease. West Indies three wickets away from the win now!

08:53 IST:

12.4: Akeal Hosein to Rashid Khan, Quicker, short and around off, Rashid Khan cuts it to point.

08:53 IST:

The Afghan skipper, Rashid Khan walks in at number 8.

08:52 IST:

12.3: Akeal Hosein to Azmatullah Omarzai, OUT! TAKEN! Another one bites the dust! Akeal Hosein floats this up, full and on middle, turns away sharply, Azmatullah Omarzai gets squared up as he tries to work it away, the ball takes the leading edge and loops in the air, Rovman Powell at covers move forward and takes an easy catch. Afghanistan six down now and Akeal Hosein gets his second wicket. 

08:52 IST:

12.2: Akeal Hosein to Karim Janat, Tossed up, full and on off, Karim Janat drills it towards mid off for a run.

08:50 IST:

12.1: Akeal Hosein to Azmatullah Omarzai, Short and on off, Azmatullah Omarzai punches it towards cover-point for a quick single.

08:51 IST:

Akeal Hosein (3-0-18-1) is back into the attack for his final over. He replaces Gudakesh Motie.

08:49 IST:

11.6: Obed McCoy to Karim Janat, Good length, on middle, Karim Janat stays back and blocks it down the pitch.

08:49 IST:

11.5: Obed McCoy to Karim Janat, Change of pace, full and on middle, Karim Janat tucks it with soft hands through mid-wicket and comes back for the second run.

08:48 IST:

11.4: Obed McCoy to Karim Janat, BEATEN! Hard length and in that channel outside off, angling away, Karim Janat has a poke at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.

08:48 IST:

11.3: Obed McCoy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Slower, short of a length and on middle, shaping in, Azmatullah Omarzai stans it towards point for a single.

08:47 IST:

11.2: Obed McCoy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Touch fuller, outside off, angling away, Azmatullah Omarzai slashes at it but misses.

08:46 IST:

11.1: Obed McCoy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Back of a length and outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai punches it sweetly wide of deep point, the fielder runs to his right and dives to make a good stop. Two runs taken.

08:45 IST:

10.6: Gudakesh Motie to Azmatullah Omarzai, Tossed up, full and on middle, Azmatullah Omarzai taps it towards covers for one. 16 runs off the over!

08:45 IST:

10.5: Gudakesh Motie to Azmatullah Omarzai, SIX! Effortless! Flighted, full and on off, Azmatullah Omarzai goes a bit inside out, presents the full face of the bat and lofts it beautifully over extra covers for another maximum.

08:44 IST:

10.4: Gudakesh Motie to Azmatullah Omarzai, Short and around off, Azmatullah Omarzai punches it towards extra covers.

08:44 IST:

10.3: Gudakesh Motie to Karim Janat, Floated, full and on off, Karim Janat drills it towards long off for a single.

08:43 IST:

10.2: Gudakesh Motie to Karim Janat, SIX! BANG! Tossed up, full and on middle, Karim Janat takes a big stride out and smacks it towards the deep mid-wicket fence, the wind takes it well over it for a biggie.

08:43 IST:

10.1: Gudakesh Motie to Karim Janat, Short and outside off, Karim Janat cuts it towards point where a fumble allows the second run.

08:43 IST:

Drinks! West Indies are all over Afghanistan here as they have already sent half of their team back to the hut. They will want to quickly wrap things up here now. The Afghans need a miracle to win from here but they will also not want to lose by a huge margin that could dent their confidence. Gudakesh Motie (2-0-8-1) continues.

08:39 IST:

9.6: Obed McCoy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Bangs it short, and it flies over the stumps, Azmatullah Omarzai sways away from the line and lets it go. What a sensational spell of bowling this is turning out to be for Obed McCoy! Halfway done in the chase, Afghanistan is reeling at 66/5.

08:39 IST:

9.5: Obed McCoy to Karim Janat, Bowls it on the top of the middle, on a length, Karim Janat hops on the back foot and steers it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.

08:38 IST:

9.4: Obed McCoy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Fuller in length, at the stumps, Azmatullah Omarzai works this one towards deep mid-wicket for just a single.

08:38 IST:

9.3: Obed McCoy to Karim Janat, Back of a length, angling onto the stumps, Karim Janat nudges it to mid-wicket for a single to get off the mark.

08:37 IST:

Karim Janat comes out to the middle now.

08:36 IST:

9.2: Obed McCoy to Mohammad Nabi, OUT! BOWLED'EM! McCoy gets his third and sees the furniture cartwheeling! Totally outfoxed 'The Professor'! Obed McCoy steams in from over the wicket, lands it around off, and tails it sharply back into the batter. Mohammad Nabi is caught off-guard having no clue how to negotiate, the ball skids in quickly, and goes on to uproot the stumps taking a thickish inside edge. Half of the Afghan side is back in the dugout now.

08:35 IST:

9.1: Obed McCoy to Azmatullah Omarzai, On the back of a length, outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai gets a thickish outside edge on the back foot and hits it towards deep third for a single.

08:34 IST:

8.6: Gudakesh Motie to Mohammad Nabi, Pushes it through, full and on off, Mohammad Nabi lunges ahead and defends it.

08:33 IST:

8.5: Gudakesh Motie to Mohammad Nabi, Full in length again, at the stumps, Mohammad Nabi leans forward and hits it back to the bowler.

08:33 IST:

8.4: Gudakesh Motie to Azmatullah Omarzai, Shade full in length, around off, Azmatullah Omarzai chops it towards backward point for one.

08:34 IST:

8.3: Gudakesh Motie to Azmatullah Omarzai, Drags his length, angling in with the arm, Azmatullah Omarzai punches it but finds the fielder at cover.

08:33 IST:

8.2: Gudakesh Motie to Mohammad Nabi, Full and outside off, Mohammad Nabi backs away and cuts it to point for a single to get off the mark.

08:32 IST:

8.1: Gudakesh Motie to Azmatullah Omarzai, Around the wicket, good length on off, Azmatullah Omarzai slaps it to deep covers for a single.

08:31 IST:

Mohammad Nabi walks out to bat now.

08:31 IST:

7.6: Obed McCoy to Najibullah Zadran, OUT! TAKEN! Second wicket for Obed McCoy and things are getting more and more precarious for Afghanistan here. Obed McCoy bends his back and bangs this short in length, outside off. Najibullah Zadran stays leg side of the ball, arches his back a bit, and goes for an aerially cut shot. Hits it flat and straight into the hands of Johnson Charles who again makes no mistake by pouching it safely at deep extra covers. The local lad, Charles is on a roll here.

08:29 IST:

7.5: Obed McCoy to Najibullah Zadran, Swings it outside off on a length, Najibullah Zadran gets beaten and the ball teases the outside edge of his willow.

08:29 IST:

Najibullah Zadran is the next man in.

08:28 IST:

7.4: Obed McCoy to Ibrahim Zadran, OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Obed McCoy celebrates and Afghanistan is in huge trouble now! McCoy serves it full, and tails it into the batter from the middle stump line, Ibrahim Zadran gets underneath it and flicks it taking the aerial route. He gets the timing right but hits it flatly, not getting the requisite distance. Johnson Charles stationed at deep square leg doesn't have to move an inch and takes a good reverse-cup catch. The dangerous Ibrahim Zadran departs now.

08:26 IST:

7.3: Obed McCoy to Azmatullah Omarzai, On the back of a length, on off, Azmatullah Omarzai punches it in front of the square for a single at deep point.

08:26 IST:

7.2: Obed McCoy to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR! Shot! Short of a good length, on off, Azmatullah Omarzai cuts it past backward point for a cracking boundary.

08:25 IST:

7.1: Obed McCoy to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR BYES! Oh, that beats the batter as well as the keeper! Bowls it shaping in on a length, just on the top of the middle, Azmatullah Omarzai gets beaten on the inside edge and the ball beats Nicholas Pooran and guns to just past through the keeper's helmet for four byes.

08:24 IST:

6.6: Gudakesh Motie to Ibrahim Zadran, Nice and full, tossed up on the off stump line. Ibrahim Zadran lunges ahead and eases it straight to covers to end the over. A successful one for West Indies.

08:24 IST:

6.5: Gudakesh Motie to Ibrahim Zadran, Pulls his length, angling into the off stump, Ibrahim Zadran gets on the back foot and knocks it through the right of covers for a brace.

08:23 IST:

6.4: Gudakesh Motie to Azmatullah Omarzai, Flatter and quicker, outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai strides out and drives it in between cover-point for a single.

08:23 IST:

6.3: Gudakesh Motie to Azmatullah Omarzai, Around the wicket, short and turning away from outside off, Azmatullah Omarzai goes back and across, and punches it towards deep extra covers for a couple of runs.

08:23 IST:

Azmatullah Omarzai comes out tp the middle now.

08:21 IST:

6.2: Gudakesh Motie to Gulbadin Naib, OUT! LBW! A huge confident shout for LBW and up goes the finger. Gulbadin Naib after a long conversation with his partner, goes upstairs. Gudakesh Motie comes from around the wicket, and lands it right on the seam, on a fullish length, it keeps straight and doesn't turn a bit. Gulbadin Naib is drawn forward and looks to play a defensive stroke anticipating the ball to turn and plays it over the line. The ball sneaks past the inside edge and thuds his front pad. UltraEdge comes up and confirms there's no nick. Ball Tracking shows that it is clipping the leg stump. Afghanistan two down now. Gudakesh Motie strikes gold in his very first over.

08:19 IST:

6.1: Gudakesh Motie to Gulbadin Naib, Quicker outside off, on a length, Gulbadin Naib misses to cut it away.

08:18 IST:

5.6: Alzarri Joseph to Gulbadin Naib, IN THE AIR BUT JUST SHORT! Bangs the shortish length, angling on off, Gulbadin Naib swivels for a pull shot but the ball gets heavy on his bat and slices off the upper half of the bat, up in the air and lands just ahead of the converging deep third fielder. Just a single.

08:18 IST:

5.5: Alzarri Joseph to Ibrahim Zadran, On the back of a length, outside off, it gets an extra bounce as well. Ibrahim Zadran cuts it on the up through backward point for a single.

08:17 IST:

5.4: Alzarri Joseph to Ibrahim Zadran, SIX! In style! Joseph misses his line again and sprays it onto the pads, on a fullish length, Ibrahim Zadran picks it up and flicks it using the pace of the ball, aerially behind deep fine for a maximum.

08:16 IST:

5.3: Alzarri Joseph to Ibrahim Zadran, Short again, in the line of the stumps, Ibrahim Zadran pulls it uppishly and the ball lands behind square leg. The batters run a couple.

08:16 IST:

5.2: Alzarri Joseph to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR! Just guided away! Cannons a short-pitched delivery, misdirected on the leg side, sets up nicely for the batter. Ibrahim Zadran waits for it and pulls it very fine towards deep fine leg fence for a boundary.

08:15 IST:

5.1: Alzarri Joseph to Gulbadin Naib, Hits the deck hard, on off, Gulbadin Naib swivels for a pull but mistimes towards widish mid-wicket for a single.

08:14 IST:

4.6: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, Shorter in length and outside off, Ibrahim Zadran cuts it hard but cannot beat point.

08:15 IST:

Afghanistan are finding it tough to find the boundaries here.

08:13 IST:

4.6: Akeal Hosein to Gulbadin Naib, Fires this one full but down the leg side, Gulbadin Naib tries to flick but misses, Nicholas Pooran fails to collect and parries it to short fine leg. It is called a wide and a bye is taken.

08:12 IST:

4.5: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, Flatter, short and on leg, angling in, Ibrahim Zadran clips it towards mid-wicket for a single.

08:12 IST:

4.4: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR! Nicely played! Flighted, full and on off, Ibrahim Zadran comfortably lifts it over mid off for another boundary.

08:11 IST:

4.3: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, Short and on off, Ibrahim Zadran makes room but punches it to extra covers.

08:11 IST:

4.2: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, Tossed up, full and on off, Ibrahim Zadran taps it to short covers.

08:11 IST:

4.1: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR! Just over! Floated and around off, Ibrahim Zadran uses his feet, opens the face of the bat and carves it aerially, Johnson Charles at extra covers dives to his right but the ball flies well over him for a boundary.

08:10 IST:

3.6: Alzarri Joseph to Gulbadin Naib, FOUR! Good shot! Overpitched and on middle, Gulbadin Naib gets inside the line of it and smears it away past mid-wicket for a boundary.

08:09 IST:

3.5: Alzarri Joseph to Ibrahim Zadran, On a length and on off, Ibrahim Zadran runs it down to third man for a single.

08:08 IST:

3.4: Alzarri Joseph to Ibrahim Zadran, Action replay! A bit fuller and on off, nips away after hitting the deck, Ibrahim Zadran tries the same shot but misses again.

08:08 IST:

3.3: Alzarri Joseph to Ibrahim Zadran, Swing and a miss! Hits the good length and on off, Ibrahim Zadran tries to slog across the line but fails to connect.

08:07 IST:

3.2: Alzarri Joseph to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR! Up and over! Pitched up and on off at 144 clicks, Ibrahim Zadran backs away and lofts it away with the wind, the ball goes well over mid off for a boundary.

08:06 IST:

3.1: Alzarri Joseph to Ibrahim Zadran, Alzarri Joseph starts with a full delivery around off, shaping away, Ibrahim Zadran throws his bat at it but misses.

08:05 IST:

2.6: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, Tossed up, full and on off, Ibrahim Zadran drills it towards mid off for one.

08:05 IST:

2.5: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, Darts this one full and on off, Ibrahim Zadran drives it firmly but straight to extra covers.

08:04 IST:

2.4: Akeal Hosein to Gulbadin Naib, Floated, full and on middle, Gulbadin Naib tucks it through mid-wicket for a run.

08:04 IST:

2.3: Akeal Hosein to Gulbadin Naib, Short again and around leg, Gulbadin Naib flicks it straight to square leg.

08:03 IST:

2.2: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, Short and on middle, Ibrahim Zadran punches it towards long on for a single.

08:02 IST:

2.1: Akeal Hosein to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR! First boundary of the chase! Flatter, full and on middle, goes in with the arm, Ibrahim Zadran leans onto his drive nicely and creams it through covers for four runs.

08:02 IST:

1.6: Andre Russell to Ibrahim Zadran, A low full toss, on middle, Ibrahim Zadran looks to drive but gets a bottom edge towards mid on for a run. 

08:01 IST:

1.5: Andre Russell to Ibrahim Zadran, Slower one, touch fuller as well, Ibrahim Zadran drills it hard but straight to mid off.

08:00 IST:

1.4: Andre Russell to Ibrahim Zadran, Good bowling! Andre Russell sees the batter back away and bangs in a quick bouncer, on middle, Ibrahim Zadran sways away from it.

08:00 IST:

1.3: Andre Russell to Ibrahim Zadran, Finally they do! On a length and on middle, Ibrahim Zadran nudges it through mid-wicket for a brace.

07:59 IST:

1.2: Andre Russell to Ibrahim Zadran, Back of a length and on off, Ibrahim Zadran punches it to short covers. 8 balls already and Afghanistan are yet to get underway here.

07:58 IST:

1.1: Andre Russell to Ibrahim Zadran, Right on the money! Andre Russell begins with a full delivery, on middle, Ibrahim Zadran knocks it towards mid on.

07:58 IST:

Andre Russell to bowl the second over.

07:57 IST:

0.6: Akeal Hosein to Gulbadin Naib, Slows it up, full and on off, turns away, Gulbadin Naib fends it down. Akeal Hosein starts with a wicket-maiden over!

07:57 IST:

0.5: Akeal Hosein to Gulbadin Naib, Quicker, short and on off, Gulbadin Naib moves back and keeps it out to the off side.

07:56 IST:

0.4: Akeal Hosein to Gulbadin Naib, Flatter, full and on middle, shaping in, Gulbadin Naib knocks it down the pitch.

07:56 IST:

Gulbadin Naib is in at number 3.

07:55 IST:

0.3: Akeal Hosein to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, OUT! TAKEN! Akeal Hosein draws first blood! He gets a wicket in the Powerplay once again. Tosses it up this time, on middle, Rahmanullah Gurbaz uses his feet to loft it away, but hits it from the toe-end of the bat, the ball lobs up towards mid on where Andre Russell takes a dolly. Early blow for the Afghans as Gurbaz walks back for a duck!

07:54 IST:

0.2: Akeal Hosein to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Short again and on middle, Rahmanullah Gurbaz backs away and punches it straight to extra covers.

07:54 IST:

0.1: Akeal Hosein to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Akeal Hosein starts with a floated delivery, short and on off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz blocks it out.

07:54 IST:

We are back for the all-important run chase! The two Umpires have made their way out to the middle. Rovman Powell marches his troops into the field and the West Indian players are taking their respective fielding positions. Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the explosive right-handed duo are the two openers for Afghanistan. And as usual, Akeal Hosein will be opening the bowling attack for the Windies. And, here we go...

07:52 IST:

... THE RUN CHASE ...

07:51 IST:

Right then, the West Indies have amassed 218 on the board and Afghanistan has a steep slope to climb. A lot will depend on how the Afghanistan openers initiate the innings as they have the requisite firepower in their arsenal. West Indies will be aiming to take early wickets and exert pressure early on. Stay tuned as Afghanistan's reply with the bat is up next shortly.

07:51 IST:

The Afghan bowlers were just getting smoked right from the get-go. Dot balls were like unicorns out there, hardly any to be seen. Azmatullah Omarzai did pick up Brandon King's wicket early, but that was literally the only thing that went right for their bowling in the Powerplay. None of the other bowlers could put a lid on the run-scoring. And to make matters even worse for them, Azmatullah himself got absolutely carted for 36 runs in his second over which just completely opened the floodgates and really put a dent in their whole bowling attack. Further adding to the woes, Mohammad Nabi shelled a crucial catch of Charles but Naveen Ul Haq got the better of him in that very over. However, Noor Ahmed and Rashid Khan were able to settle things down a bit in the middle overs. With the spinners getting some grip, and the pressure they created with their turn helped, and it allowed Gulbadin Naib to finally strike and get a much-needed wicket for them. The bowlers then focused on taking the pace off the ball, which prevented the batters from playing freely like they did earlier. However, Rashid Khan conceded 24 off his last over which again robbed the momentum from them. Gulbadin came back for the penultimate over and dismissed the dangerous Powell. But Afghanistan literally leaked runs by conceding 70 runs in the last 5 overs and were quite sloppy in the field as well.

07:57 IST:

West Indies have just notched up the highest first innings total in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2024, and this is their highest total in the T20 World Cups. But boy, oh boy! Aren't you entertained? A sheer box-office at St. Lucia! The West Indies came out swinging hard right from the start! Johnson Charles and Nicholas Pooran went bonkers on the Afghan bowlers, despite losing Brandon King super early. Johnson Charles had a bit of a scratchy and an edgy start, but he still found a way to keep finding the ropes. When Nicholas Pooran walked in, he just started tonking the bowlers into the stands, where every shot was a clean strike into the crowd. These two kept piling on the boundaries and capitalizing on that Powerplay. By the end of it, they had racked up 92 runs, the highest ever Powerplay score in T20 World Cup history, decimating the opposition bowling attack. Charles departed on 43 but ensured his team got off to a flier. Things slowed down a bit around the halfway mark as Pooran and Hope focused on singles and carefully handled the spinners. They built a 33-run partnership before Hope got out for 25. Nicholas Pooran who got off to a blitz, notched up a brilliant half-century. The run rate still kept hovering around 10s. The skipper Rovman Powell, who was in search of runs, then provided a solid hand of 26 runs. Nicholas Pooran then said 'enough', going all guns blazing against Rashid, and opened the floodgates in the 18th over fetching 24 runs. His inning was graced by 8 towering sixes but unfortunately, he missed his ton by a shade 2 runs. West Indies finished up at 218 in the end.

07:42 IST:

19.6: Naveen-ul-Haq to Andre Russell, IN THE AIR AND DROPPED! Oh dear! That sums up Afghanistan's day so far! Naveen-ul-Haq bowls another slower delivery, full and on middle, Andre Russell mistimes his slog high in the air towards deep mid-wicket, Rashid Khan runs to his right, gets under it but spills it out in the end. Two runs taken. West Indies finishes on a massive 218/5!

07:41 IST:

19.5: Naveen-ul-Haq to Sherfane Rutherford, Slower one, full and outside off, Sherfane Rutherford drags it towards long on for a single.

07:41 IST:

Sherfane Rutherford walks in at number 7.

07:40 IST:

19.4: Naveen-ul-Haq to Nicholas Pooran, OUT! RUN OUT! Oh..no! That is just unlucky for Nicholas Pooran! This is another full toss, on off, Nicholas Pooran drills it wide of deep point and turns around for the second run to keep the strike, Azmatullah Omarzai picks up and fires in a rocket throw towards the batter's end and hits bullseye, Pooran puts in a desperate dive but that is not good enough to save him. Nikky P has to go back for a smashing 98 and just misses out on a well-deserved ton.

07:38 IST:

19.3: Naveen-ul-Haq to Nicholas Pooran, A good wide yorker now, outside off, Nicholas Pooran goes down across to swipe it away but fails to connect this time. He remains on 97 for now.

07:37 IST:

19.2: Naveen-ul-Haq to Nicholas Pooran, SIX MORE! This is a freebie! A juicy full toss, on off, Nicholas Pooran moves across a bit and absolutely whacks it over the deep mid-wicket fence for another maximum.

07:36 IST:

19.1: Naveen-ul-Haq to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! SMASHED! Naveen-ul-Haq misses the yorker and serves this in the slot, on off, Nicholas Pooran clears his front leg away and dispatches it well over the long off fence for a biggie. He moves into the 90s now! Also, he completes 2000 runs in his illustrious T20I career.

07:36 IST:

19.1: Naveen-ul-Haq to Nicholas Pooran, Naveen-ul-Haq goes for the slower bouncer, on middle, but this one takes off and goes well over the batter, Nicholas Pooran leaves it alone. Wided.

07:35 IST:

18.6: Gulbadin Naib to Nicholas Pooran, Change of pace, bowls a loopy delivery, outside off, Nicholas Pooran digs it out through covers for one.

07:34 IST:

18.5: Gulbadin Naib to Andre Russell, Short of a length and on middle, no pace at all, Andre Russell waits for it a long time but still mistimes his pull towards deep square for just a single. 200 up for West Indies!

07:33 IST:

18.4: Gulbadin Naib to Andre Russell, Another slower delivery, full and angling into leg, keeps low, Andre Russell tries to heave it away but misses.

07:32 IST:

Alert! Dre Russ, Andre Russell walks in at number 6.

07:33 IST:

18.3: Gulbadin Naib to Rovman Powell, OUT! TAKEN! Gulbadin Naib has the last laugh here! He takes pace off again, full and on off, Rovman Powell once again tries to slog across the line, but is early through his shot and gets an outside edge, the ball goes in the air, Nangeyalia Kharote (Sub) at cover-point settles under it and takes a good catch. West Indies four down now!

07:31 IST:

18.2: Gulbadin Naib to Rovman Powell, Slower one, full and on off, Rovman Powell tries to go for the slog again but misses it this time.

07:30 IST:

18.1: Gulbadin Naib to Rovman Powell, SIX! Rovman Powell joins the party! Gulbadin Naib bowls a low full toss, on middle, the Windies' skipper stays deep in his crease and tonks it over the bowler's head for yet another maximum.

07:30 IST:

Gulbadin Naib (1-0-6-1) is back into the attack.

07:29 IST:

17.6: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! Massive! 24 runs off Rashid Khan's over and the Windies are all set for a huge score here. Gives this one a bit more flight, on middle, Nicholas Pooran goes down once again and smokes it over the wide long on fence for six more runs. West Indies have taken 45 runs of Rashid's four overs which is not easy to do at all!

07:28 IST:

17.5: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, Quicker, full and on middle, Nicholas Pooran swipes it wide of deep mid-wicket for a brace.

07:27 IST:

17.4: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! Nikky P on fire here! Rashid Khan drags his length back, on middle, Nicholas Pooran rocks back and smashes it over the long on fence for another maximum. The 50-runs partnership comes up with that as well.

07:27 IST:

17.3: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Just wide! A bit short and on middle, Nicholas Pooran stays back and heaves it away towards the deep mid-wicket fence, the fielder runs to his right but only to watch the ball go past him for a boundary.

07:27 IST:

17.2: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! Up, up and away! Flighted, full and on middle, Nicholas Pooran goes down on one knee and nails his slog-sweep this time over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

07:26 IST:

17.1: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, An appeal for LBW, but turned down! Tossed up, full and on middle, turns in, Nicholas Pooran goes down to slog-sweep but misses and gets hit on the pads. Rashid Khan after a lot of thinking goes for the review. UltraEdge confirms no bat involved but Ball Tracking shows that it has pitched outside leg. Afghanistan has no reviews left now!

07:23 IST:

16.6: Naveen-ul-Haq to Rovman Powell, Another slower one, full and outside off, keep a bit low, Rovman Powell throws his bat at it but misses.

07:23 IST:

16.5: Naveen-ul-Haq to Rovman Powell, FOUR! This is poor bowling! Naveen-ul-Haq bangs this short and around middle with fine leg up in the circle, Rovman Powell looks to pull but gets a top edge that flies over that fielder for another boundary.

07:22 IST:

16.4: Naveen-ul-Haq to Nicholas Pooran, Uppish but safe! On a length and on off, slower again, Nicholas Pooran tries to play at it but the ball goes off the top edge and lands in the vacant square leg region. They cross.

07:21 IST:

16.3: Naveen-ul-Haq to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Put away! Naveen-ul-Haq misses his length and serves a juicy full toss, outside off, Nicholas Pooran slices it away between deep point and sweeper covers, Najibullah Zadran runs to his right and dives to push the ball back inside but only manages to parry it away to the fence for a boundary.

07:20 IST:

16.2: Naveen-ul-Haq to Rovman Powell, Back of a length and on middle, Rovman Powell swipes it towards deep square leg for a run.

07:19 IST:

16.1: Naveen-ul-Haq to Nicholas Pooran, Full and outside off, angling away, keeps it out of the reach of the batter, Nicholas Pooran steps across and lofts it towards long off for just a single.

07:19 IST:

Naveen-ul-Haq (2-0-13-1) is back into the attack.

07:18 IST:

15.6: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Nicholas Pooran, Overpitched and on off, Nicholas Pooran jams it out towards extra covers for a run.

07:17 IST:

15.5: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Nicholas Pooran, In the blockhole now, outside off, Nicholas Pooran steers it towards point and wants the run but is sent back.

07:17 IST:

15.4: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Nicholas Pooran, A good slower bouncer now, on middle, Nicholas Pooran waits and waits for it, but the ball never really arrived and he misses out to ramp it away.

07:16 IST:

15.3: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Nicholas Pooran, Slower, short of a length and on middle, Nicholas Pooran pulls it towards deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

07:15 IST:

15.2: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Rovman Powell, Pitched up and on off, Rovman Powell drills it hard wide of long off for a single.

07:15 IST:

15.1: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Rovman Powell, SIX! BANG! What a shot! Fazalhaq Farooqi serves this full and in the slot, on middle, Rovman Powell without much backlift plays the short-arm jab, the ball flies off the middle of the bat over the bowler's head for a biggie.

07:14 IST:

14.6: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Flatter trajectory, on a fuller length, in front of the stumps, Nicholas Pooran goes deep inside the crease and eases it towards backward point to end the over. End of an excellent spell from Noor Ahmad.

07:13 IST:

14.5: Noor Ahmad to Rovman Powell, Nice and full, on the middle, turning into the batter, Rovman Powell gets a thickish inside edge towards widish mid on for a single.

07:12 IST:

14.4: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Continues from over the wicket, lands it full and on off, Nicholas Pooran strides out and eases it in front of covers for a quick single.

07:12 IST:

14.3: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Full and outside off, Nicholas Pooran gets down on one knee and looks to slog it but under edges it towards the leg side.

07:12 IST:

14.2: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Slider outside off, turning away on a fuller length. Nicholas Pooran goes for an expansive drive but misses. Rahmanullah Gurbaz appeals for caught behind but just momentarily.

07:11 IST:

14.1: Noor Ahmad to Rovman Powell, Almost a yorker at the stumps, Rovman Powell shovels it out and flicks it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.

07:10 IST:

13.6: Rashid Khan to Rovman Powell, Too full and on off, Rovman Powell prods ahead and works it down to long on for a single.

07:09 IST:

13.5: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, FIRST T20 WORLD CUP 50 FOR NICKY P! 12th of his T20I career as well! Good length, on middle, Nicholas Pooran tucks it towards mid-wicket and takes a single.

07:09 IST:

13.4: Rashid Khan to Rovman Powell, Pulls his length, and drops it on a good length, angling onto the pads, Rovman Powell goes back and across and punches it towards deep mid-wicket for one.

07:08 IST:

13.3: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, Length ball on the middle, Nicholas Pooran nudges it along the ground for a single at deep mid-wicket.

07:08 IST:

13.2: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, Flatter again, on the middle, Nicholas Pooran looks to cut it off the back for but it is too close to play that shot, hence, buts it underneath the bat.

07:08 IST:

13.1: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, Flat and full, on the leg stump line, Nicholas Pooran clips it to short fine and looks for a single but gets a sendback from his partner.

07:07 IST:

12.6: Gulbadin Naib to Rovman Powell, Takes all the pace off the ball, and lands it on a good length, outside off, Rovman Powell waits for it and cuts it solidly towards deep point for a couple of runs. Azmatullah Omarzai slides in to his left and manages to cut the ball before the fence, restricts it to just a couple of runs.

07:06 IST:

12.5: Gulbadin Naib to Nicholas Pooran, Shade short in length, on the top of the middle, Nicholas Pooran stands tall and transfers his weight on the back foot before pulling it away towards deep mid-wicket for a single.

07:05 IST:

12.4: Gulbadin Naib to Rovman Powell, Short of a length outside the off, Rovman Powell goes for the pull, but gets an inside half of the bat, rolling to wide long-on for a single.

07:06 IST:

12.3: Gulbadin Naib to Nicholas Pooran, Good length outside off at a gentle pace, Nicholas Pooran late cuts towards short third man for one.

07:04 IST:

12.2: Gulbadin Naib to Rovman Powell, Full on the middle stump. Rovman Powell pushes it down to long on for a single.

07:03 IST:

Rovman Powell is the next man in.

07:02 IST:

12.1: Gulbadin Naib to Shai Hope, OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Gulbadin Naib bowls a slower leg-cutter, and lands it on the fuller length, on the off stump, Shai Hope is early on the shot and slogs it with no real timing, dragging it into the air towards the deep square leg region. Najibullah Zadran patrolling the boundary runs towards his right and stretches his arms to grab the catch successfully. He falls with the running momentum but manages to keep the ball in his hands.

07:01 IST:

11.6: Noor Ahmad to Shai Hope, Comes from around the wicket, full and on middle, Shai Hope lunges ahead and pushes it towards long off for a single to end the over. The spinners have managed to stem the flow of runs to an extent here.

07:00 IST:

11.5: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, A googly, on a length, and pitching outside off, Nicholas Pooran stays back and works it to mid-wicket for a single.

07:00 IST:

11.4: Noor Ahmad to Shai Hope, Drags his length, onto the pads, Shai Hope tucks it off the back foot for a single to deep mid-wicket.

06:59 IST:

11.3: Noor Ahmad to Shai Hope, Turns it in from the middle, on a fuller length, Shai Hope plays it over the line of the ball and inside edges just past the leg stump for a brace towards short fine.

06:59 IST:

11.2: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Pulls his length a bit, but keeps it on the stumps, Nicholas Pooran delicately nudges it in front of the square to the leg side for one.

06:58 IST:

11.1: Noor Ahmad to Shai Hope, Loops it up, full and on middle, Shai Hope leans on the ball and drives it inside out through widish mid off for a single.

06:57 IST:

10.6: Mohammad Nabi to Shai Hope, 15 runs off the over! Looped up, full and on middle, Shai Hope tries to push it away but toe-ends it down to long on for one.

06:57 IST:

10.5: Mohammad Nabi to Shai Hope, Low full toss on the middle, Shai Hope spanks it through mid-wicket for a brace. Najibullah Zadran sprints in from deep mid-wicket to his left and cuts the ball before the ropes. Good fielding.

06:56 IST:

10.4: Mohammad Nabi to Shai Hope, Full and outside the off-stump Shai Hope drives it to the left of diving extra cover.

06:56 IST:

10.3: Mohammad Nabi to Shai Hope, SIX! That's MASSIVE! Nabi comes from around the wicket, and lands it on a length, on the off-stump line, Shai Hope slogs it well over the cow corner for a biggie.

06:55 IST:

10.2: Mohammad Nabi to Shai Hope, SIX! Absolutely smoked! Mohammad Nabi drops it right into the hitting arc on middle, Shai Hope gets the desired length and slogs it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum.

06:55 IST:

10.1: Mohammad Nabi to Shai Hope, Over the wicket, on a length, just on the top of off, Shai Hope rocks back and punches it to mid off.

06:57 IST:

Drinks! Phew! Are you not entertained? This has been top-drawer batting from the West Indian batters. Nicholas Pooran and Johnson Charles just didn't spare any Afghan bowler coming their way and smashed the ball at every nuke and corner of the ground with ease. However, the spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad have managed to keep things a bit quiet since the last couple of overs, but West Indies is still cruising at a very healthy run rate. And with Nicholas Pooran still unbeaten and more brute force yet to come, the co-hosts are definitely eyeing for a huge total here.

06:51 IST:

9.6: Rashid Khan to Shai Hope, Rashid Khan ends the over with a googly, on middle, Shai Hope works it through square leg for one more.

07:00 IST:

9.5: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, Another short delivery, on off, Nicholas Pooran punches it through covers for one.

06:50 IST:

9.4: Rashid Khan to Shai Hope, Flatter, short and on middle, Shai Hope tucks it towards mid-wicket for another run.

07:00 IST:

9.3: Rashid Khan to Shai Hope, A googly now, full and on middle, turns in, Shai Hope watches it through and taps it to short covers.

06:49 IST:

9.2: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, Floated, full and on leg, Nicholas Pooran clips it towards short fine leg for a run.

06:49 IST:

9.1: Rashid Khan to Shai Hope, Short and on middle, Shai Hope moves back and flicks it through mid-wicket for a single.

06:48 IST:

8.6: Noor Ahmad to Shai Hope, Quicker, short and on off, Shai Hope swats it down to long on for one more.

06:47 IST:

8.5: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Flighted, full and on middle, Nicholas Pooran goes down and sweeps it towards deep square leg for one.

06:47 IST:

8.4: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Just short! Slows it up, full and on off, turns away, Nicholas Pooran looks to work it away, but close the face of the bat early, the ball goes off the leading edge and rolls to short third man.

06:46 IST:

8.3: Noor Ahmad to Shai Hope, Floats it up, full and on middle, Shai Hope flicks it to widish long on for one.

06:46 IST:

8.2: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Goes short and on off, Nicholas Pooran punches it through covers for a single.

06:45 IST:

8.1: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Tossed up, full and around off, Nicholas Pooran drives it wide of sweeper covers for a couple of runs.

06:44 IST:

Shai Hope is in at number 4.

06:44 IST:

7.6: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, OUT! TAKEN! A soft dismissal and the local lad goes back now! Naveen-ul-Haq once again takes pace off, fuller and on off, Johnson Charles gets deceived by the lack of pace and is very early into his shot, the ball flies towards extra covers where Gulbadin Naib dives forward to take a fine catch. Charles goes back after a quick-fire knock here!

06:43 IST:

7.5: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, Pitched up, on off, Johnson Charles drills it towards mid off, Pooran wants the run but is sent back.

06:42 IST:

7.4: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, FOUR! Fine shot! Naveen-ul-Haq lands this short of a length and on middle, Johnson Charles stands tall and smacks it away wide of deep square leg for a boundary.

06:41 IST:

7.3: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, DROPPED! A tough chance though! This is full again and outside off, Johnson Charles goes down to loft it away but has to reach out a long way and mistimes it in the air towards mid off, Mohammad Nabi leaps up, and gets fingertips on it but fails to grab it. Two runs taken.

06:40 IST:

7.2: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, Clever bowling! Naveen-ul-Haq takes all the pace off this time, on a length and on off, Johnson Charles looks to guide it down to third man but misses again.

06:39 IST:

7.1: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, Fuller and outside off, angling in, Johnson Charles slashes hard at it but fails to connect.

06:38 IST:

6.6: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Goes short again, on middle, Nicholas Pooran pushes it back to the bowler.

06:37 IST:

6.5: Noor Ahmad to Johnson Charles, Floated, full and on middle, Johnson Charles swipes it towards deep mid-wicket for one.

06:37 IST:

6.4: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Flighted, full and on middle, Nicholas Pooran eases it towards long on for another run.

06:36 IST:

6.3: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, A huge shout for caught behind, but turned down! Rahmanullah Gurbaz looks very confident and convinces Rashid Khan to take the review. Quicker, shortish and on leg, Nicholas Pooran tries to work it away but misses, the ball pops up off his pads behind where Gurbaz grabs it on the second attempt. UltraEdge confirms that it was pad and not bat. Afghanistan loses a review!

06:39 IST:

Is that out? Has Nicholas Pooran nicked it? Rahmanullah Gurbaz is very confident and convinces his skipper, Rashid Khan to go upstairs as he believes the deflected off the bat. But there's nothing on the UltraEdge when the ball passes through the bat, however, it clipped the pads instead. The on-field decision stays. NOT OUT. Afghanistan lose a review here.

06:34 IST:

6.2: Noor Ahmad to Johnson Charles, Flatter, short again and on off, Johnson Charles moves across and steers it towards backward point for a run.

06:34 IST:

6.1: Noor Ahmad to Nicholas Pooran, Noor Ahmad begins with a short delivery, on middle, Nicholas Pooran stays back and nudges it towards the mid on region for a single.

06:33 IST:

5.6: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, Slower again, good length and on off, Johnson Charles guides it towards short third man. Just seven runs off the over. However, West Indies are 92/1 at the end of the Powerplay. This is the highest Powerplay score in the history of the T20 World Cup.

06:32 IST:

5.5: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, A low full toss, on middle, Johnson Charles drills it hard down the ground but the ball nits the stumps at the non-striker's end and goes nowhere. 

06:31 IST:

5.4: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, Change of pace again, on a length and around off, Johnson Charles backs away and just checks his shot at the last moment, the ball lobs up over extra covers. Two runs taken.

06:30 IST:

5.3: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, Naveen-ul-Haq nails the yorker now, on middle, angling in again, Johnson Charles digs it out down the pitch.

06:30 IST:

5.2: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, FOUR! The boundaries keep on coming! Short of a length and on middle, sits up nicely for the batter, Johnson Charles swivels and pulls it wide of short fine leg for four runs.

06:29 IST:

5.2: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, Naveen-ul-Haq sees the batter make room, rolls his fingers to take pace off and tries to keep it out of the reach of the batter, but he bowls it well outside off, Johnson Charles is in no position to play that. Wided.

06:29 IST:

5.1: Naveen-ul-Haq to Johnson Charles, A rare dot! Naveen-ul-Haq starts with a good-length delivery, on middle, angling in sharply, Johnson Charles looks to flick but misses and gets hit high on the pads.

06:27 IST:

4.6: Rashid Khan to Johnson Charles, A googly on a length and turning on the middle, Johnson Charles prods forward and steers it in front of square for a single to retain the strike.

06:27 IST:

4.5: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, Shade full in length, at the stumps, Nicholas Pooran drags it towards mid-wicket for a single.

06:26 IST:

4.4: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Cut away with precision! This is a brilliant batting display! Rashid Khan bowls it flipper on a fuller length, just on the off-stump line, Nicholas Pooran watches it closely and masterfully cuts it lately through short third for a boundary.

06:26 IST:

4.4: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, WIDE! Bowls it down the leg side on a fuller length. Wided.

06:28 IST:

4.3: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, On the top of the stumps, on a length, Nicholas Pooran attempts a reverse sweep but misses.

06:25 IST:

4.2: Rashid Khan to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Punished! Overpitched from Rashid, on off, Nicholas Pooran gets a good stride forward and lofts it over mid off for a boundary.

06:24 IST:

4.1: Rashid Khan to Johnson Charles, Rashid starts and lands it on a shortish length, a googly turning in on off, Johnson Charles goes back and across and tucks it towards long on for one.

06:24 IST:

Afghanistan are under pressure here and Rashid Khan brings himself into the attack now.

06:23 IST:

3.6: Azmatullah Omarzai to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! 36 RUNS OFF THE OVER! Full and around off, Nicholas Pooran clears his front leg and spanks it downtown for a maximum over long off. Nicholas Pooran has taken the Afghan bowlers to the cleaners here. West Indies are off to a flier.

06:22 IST:

3.5: Azmatullah Omarzai to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! There's no margin of error against this man! Lands a juicy half-volley right into the hitting zone on the middle and leg, Nicholas Pooran swings across and gets it off the middle of the willow for a maximum over deep mid-wicket.

06:21 IST:

3.4: Azmatullah Omarzai to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Smashed! Too wide and too full, Nicholas Pooran gets a good stride ahead, half-squats and uppishly drives it over point for a boundary.

06:21 IST:

3.3: Azmatullah Omarzai to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR LEG BYES! Swings it onto the pads, on a fuller length, Nicholas Pooran attempts to flick it with strong bottom hand but the ball brushes off the front pad and bullets down to deep fine for four leg byes.

06:20 IST:

3.2: Azmatullah Omarzai to Nicholas Pooran, Bowls a pinpoint yorker on the middle, slightly tailing in, Nicholas Pooran clears his front leg and goes for a big shot over the leg side but gets beaten and the ball sneaks through the edge into the wickets. 

06:19 IST:

3.2: Azmatullah Omarzai to Nicholas Pooran, FIVE WIDES! Oh dear! Quite wayward from Omarzai! Bowls it way short, and it further takes off the deck and flies over the keeper's head for five wides.

06:19 IST:

3.2: Azmatullah Omarzai to Nicholas Pooran, NO BALL AND FOUR! Gee, this is turning out to be a horror for Afghanistan! Short in length, angling on the top of off, Nicholas Pooran stands tall and pulls it well through mid-wicket for a boundary. A Free-Hit to follow now.

06:30 IST:

3.1: Azmatullah Omarzai to Nicholas Pooran, EDGED AND SIX! Flies all the way! Azmatullah Omarzai pitches this one up and full on the stumps, Nicholas Pooran goes to clear the deep mid-wicket fence but gets it off the leading edge that flies over deep third for a maximum. The sheer power off the southpaw sails the ball over the fence.

06:16 IST:

2.6: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Johnson Charles, FOUR! He gets the timing right this time! Fazalhaq Farooqi lands this one right underneath the bat on the middle, Johnson Charles cashes onto this friendly half-volley and smashes it down the ground for a boundary to end the over.

06:16 IST:

2.5: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Johnson Charles, FOUR! He is living on a knife's edge here, Charles! But again finds the fence. Slower delivery outside off, on a fuller length, Johnson Charles is quite early on the cover drive and airs it between the cover-point for a boundary.

06:15 IST:

2.5: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Johnson Charles, WIDE! Angles it way down the leg side from around the wicket, on a good length, Johnson Charles leaves it alone. Wide signaled.

06:14 IST:

2.4: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Nicholas Pooran, On the top of off, on a length, Nicholas Pooran dabs it towards short third off the back foot for a single.

06:14 IST:

2.3: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Johnson Charles, Back of a length, just around off, Johnson Charles stays leg side and knocks it straight towards backward point where the fielder fumbles on the pick-up and allows the batters to fetch a single. Azmatullah Omarzai has a shy at the keeper's end.

06:12 IST:

2.2: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Johnson Charles, FOUR! It has been quite an edgy affair for Charles. Three boundaries and all have been streaky! Good length outside off, Johnson Charles throws his bat at it and the ball takes off the outside edge over the top of short third for a boundary.

06:12 IST:

2.1: Fazalhaq Farooqi to Johnson Charles, Bowls it outside off, on a fuller length at just 109 kph, Johnson Charles prods ahead and finds the cover fielder.

06:11 IST:

1.6: Azmatullah Omarzai to Nicholas Pooran, Omarzai bowls it on a length, around off, Nicholas Pooran punches it to covers. A successful over for Afghanistan.

06:09 IST:

Nicholas Pooran walks out to bat at number 3.

06:09 IST:

1.5: Azmatullah Omarzai to Brandon King, OUT! YOU MISS I HIT! Brilliant stuff from Azmatullah Omarzai and Afghanistan get their first man. Azmatullah Omarzai comes in from over the wicket, and lands it full, and around the fourth stump line with a gentle inswing. Brandon King is drawn forward and closes the bat's face way early to flick it to the leg side but misses. The ball sneaks through the willow and rattles the furniture. 

06:08 IST:

1.4: Azmatullah Omarzai to Johnson Charles, Good length, swinging into the stumps, Johnson Charl