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The Super 8 stage in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup has begun with South Africa and defending champions England winning their respective Group 2 clashes against the hosts, USA and West Indies, respectively. With the wins on Wednesday, England and South Africa have clinched the top two positions in the Group 2 points table followed by the USA and West Indies.
In this article, we will go through all the big news that took place on Wednesday, June 19, but before that, let’s have a look at all the matches scheduled for the day.
Today’s match preview
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8: Afghanistan vs India
Afghanistan will take on India in the Super 8 Group 1 match of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. The inaugural champions from of the T20 World Cup, India will be coming into this match after topping the Group A standings in the league stage with three wins and one no result. Meanwhile, Afghanistan dented the hopes of New Zealand and finished in second place, after West Indies in Group C standings to seal the Super 8 spot.
Major cricket events that happened on Wednesday, June 19
Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada power South Africa to 18-run win over USA
South Africa received a major boost on Wednesday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua as their star opener Quinton de Kock returned to form against the USA. In the Super 8 clash, South Africa registered a 195-run target as De Kock smashed 74 off 40 followed by skipper Aiden Markram (46) while Klaasen and Stubbs combined for 53 runs and remained unbeaten. Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh picked up two wickets each for the USA. During the chase, USA wicketkeeper-batter Andre Gous scored 80 not out in 47 deliveries, however, Rabada's three wickets helped SA to restrict USA to 176 runs at a loss of 6 wickets.
Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow guide England to comfortable 8-wicket win over West Indies
With a captain's knock by Rovman Powell (36 off 17), smashing five sixes, the West Indies managed to score 180 runs at a loss of 4 wickets in the Super 8 Group 2 clash against England at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Saint Lucia. However, Phil Salt (87 off 47) and Jonny Bairstow's (48 off 26) unbeaten knocks guide England to a comfortable eight-wicket win over the Windies with 15 balls remaining.
Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur's hundreds guide India to four-run win over South Africa
Indian batters Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur came up with two tons to help India register a win in the second ODI against South Africa. In the second ODI on Wednesday, chasing a 326-run target, SA skipper Laura Wolvaardt scored 135* runs off 135 deliveries to give the side some stability while Marizanne Kapp came up with another crucial 114 runs, however, India clinched the match by four runs. With this win, India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match ODI series.
5 IPL teams expressed interest in Hundred's team: Mark Nicholas
MCC President and cricket commentator Mark Nicholas, who is set to take over as the club’s chairman in October, revealed that five Indian Premier League franchises have expressed their interest in acquiring a stake in London Spirit. The Lord’s based team competes in 'The Hundred' tournament, played in England.
Babar, Shaheen, Rizwan and others to be rested for Pakistan’s Test series against Bangladesh: Reports
Several senior players including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan might be rested for Pakistan’s Test series against Bangladesh at home. Pakistan will host Bangladesh for a two-match Test series in August this year, as a part of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. According to the PTI, the Pakistan Cricket Board is in direct contact with Test captain Shaan Masood and newly-appointed red-ball head coach Jasin Gillespie to pick the squad for the Bangladesh series.
Ahmed Shehzad claims Gary Kirsten’s rumoured statement on Pakistan is true
Ahmed Shehzad, the Pakistan cricketer, who is currently out of favour at the international level, has claimed that the rumoured statement from the head coach Gary Kirsten to his players is true. Notably, in the aftermath of Pakistan's exit from T20 World Cup 2024, the 56-year-old allegedly said that there is no unity in the team.
Cricketers created social media pages to attack us: Wanindu Hasaranga
Sri Lanka T20I skipper Wanindu Hasaranga opened up on the team’s exit from the T20 World Cup 2024. Not only this, but he also made some shocking claims stating that a few cricketers were behind social media pages criticising the Islanders’ performance. Sri Lanka, the former champions failed to make it through to the Super Eight after registering only one win in their four group-stage games.
