AUS vs AFG, T20 World Cup Super 8: Captain Mitchell Marsh Reacts To Australia's Shock Loss To Afghanistan

Australia now faces a must-win situation against India to stay in contention for a spot in the semifinals Afghanistan will pose a threat to Australia if they defeat Bangladesh on Monday.

AUS vs AFG highlights: Australia's unexpected 21-run loss to underdogs Afghanistan at Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, St Vincent, in their T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match on Sunday (June 23) has put their semifinal hopes in jeopardy. The victory was monumental for Afghanistan, marking their first win over Australia in their last six international encounters.

With this defeat, Australia now faces a must-win situation against India to stay in contention for a spot in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Afghanistan will pose a threat to Australia if they defeat Bangladesh on Monday, potentially requiring the Aussies to not just simply defeat India, but win against the 'Men in Blue' on Monday (June 24) by a big margin.

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If Afghanistan defeats Bangladesh and India loses to Australia, all three teams—Australia, India, and Afghanistan—will finish with 4 points in Super 8 Group 1. In such a scenario, the net run rate will become the deciding factor to determine which two teams advance to the semifinals.

A loss to India on Monday would eliminate Australia from the T20 World Cup 2024, likely leaving India and Afghanistan as the two teams to qualify for the semifinals from Group 1.

After AUS vs AFG match was over, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh admitted that they were outplayed by Afghanistan.

"They probably got 20 too many. Lot of teams have bowled first in this tournament. Don’t think it was won or lost at the toss. We had an off night on the field. Wasn’t the easiest of wickets but both teams played on it. As I said, we got outplayed today. We just need to win and there’s no better team to do it against," Marsh said after the match.

Gulbadin Naib, who won Player of the Match award for his match-winning spell, said: "We were waiting for a long time. Great moment for me, my nation, my people. Big achievement for our cricket. Thanks to our fans for supporting our cricket journey. We worked hard for the last 2 months, and the result is in front of you."