Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan spoke about his side’s heartbreaking defeat in the double Super Over against South Africa in the T20 World Cup on Tuesday. In a gripping contest, Afghanistan fought all the way to the final delivery but ultimately fell short by just four runs in the second Super Over. The result has also dented their Super 8 chances, with both New Zealand and South Africa securing two wins each, while Afghanistan are still searching for their first victory after back-to-back losses against the two sides.
Rashid admitted his side had enough chances to seal the contest despite the heartbreaking double Super Over defeat, stressing that small moments and sharper decisions could have changed the outcome. Reflecting on the narrow loss, Rashid pointed out how the match remained within reach till the final ball and emphasised the need for smarter execution under pressure, while also backing his team to learn from the experience and return stronger in the remaining games.
“We had our opportunity. Even to look into the last Super Over as well, 1 ball 5 runs it could go anyway. I think we had our opportunities. To be a little bit smarter while batting. A bit of dive, one good ball just to finish off the game. But I think there’s a lot of things for us to learn from here. We only get better. Hopefully we keep that good energy around and we come back harder and harder,” the Afghan skipper said in the post-match presentation.
“Pretty hard to lift team’s morale”
He further acknowledged the emotional toll the defeat has taken on his players, admitting it has been tough to lift spirits after coming so close following months of preparation. The Afghanistan skipper spoke about the disappointment within the camp but stressed the importance of playing with pride for the country and the fans back home, adding that his focus now is on keeping the group mentally strong and ensuring they return with renewed determination and sharper thinking in the next game.
“It’s pretty hard. You work really hard for the last one and a half year just for this game to win it and to go for the next round. It’s quite disappointing. Its pretty hard to keep them up. But still you have to come up. Any time you’re representing your country is a huge proud moment. And you have to play for your pride. People back home they expecting us to win lots of games. We had not the ideal start we wanted in the World Cup. It’s quite disappointing. But will try my best to keep them as up as possible. Next game we come with strong mind and with clever mind as well,” he added.
Afghanistan will next face UAE on February 16 and then Canada on February 19.
