"The superhero of Afghanistan" - Fans react to Gulbadin Naib's match-winning 4-wicket haul in AUS vs AFG T20 World Cup Super 8 match

Gulbadin Naib was the hero for Afghanistan in their Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup against Australia at Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown on Sunday, June 23. The all-rounder guided his team to a famous win with a terrific bowling spell.

Australia won the toss and chose to field first. Afghanistan registered 148/6 in 20 overs, courtesy of half-centuries from openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60) and Ibrahim Zadran (51).

Afghanistan were off to an impressive start with the ball, picking up early wickets. However, Glenn Maxwell threatened to take the game away from them with a 59-run knock.

Naib turned the game on its head with his bowling exploits, picking the crucial wickets of Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David and Pat Cummins. He finished with figures of 4-20-4, ensuring that Afghanistan avenged their 2023 ODI World Cup loss to Australia, where Maxwell remained unbeaten on 201.

Several fans took to social media, showering praise on Naib for his exceptional performance as Afghanistan beat Australia by 21 runs. Here are some of the top reactions:

Several fans lauded Naib for changing the course of the match with his brilliant four-wicket haul.

"This has to be one of the greatest spells in the history of Afghanistan. Respect, Gulbadin Naib." wrote a fan

"Gulbadin Naib - The golden arm for Afghanistan won the game by picking 4 crucial wickets against Australia." commented another

"GULBADIN NAIB IS THE SUPERHERO OF AFGHANISTAN. THIS MAN HAS CHANGED THE GAME 180⁰, THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE." chimed in yet another

Australia were bowled out for 127 in 19.2 overs and Gulbadin Naib was adjudged the Player of the Match.

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"Big achievement for our cricket" - Gulbadin Naib on Afghanistan beating Australia

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Gulbadin Naib expressed his delight over his team finally being able to cross the line against Australia. He stated that it was a big achievement for the country.

He spoke about how the side put in a lot of hard work on the road to the 2024 T20 World Cup. Naib 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. The wicket wasn’t easy to bat on, the ball was too bouncy. I took two wickets early on, and carried that on later."

Mentioning that it as a complete team effort from Afghanistan and highlighting the side's achievements at the showpiece event, Naib added:

"Thanks to Rashid for trusting me. This was a complete team effort. The way Naveen bowled, the way Gurbaz and Ibrahim batted. We beat Australia at last! It is a great achievement for Afghanistan cricket, our history isn’t too much so this is a great achievement. We played great cricket in the last World Cup, and this year we beat New Zealand in the group stage. Our journey starts now. We have great management and I’m very fortunate to have this team. Every game is important, we will rest tomorrow and think about it."

Afghanistan will now take on Bangladesh in their final match of the Super 8 round. The game will be played at Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown on Tuesday, June 25.