Afghanistan beat Scotland by 55 runs in warm-up match

Afghanistan's first warm-up match in Port of Spain was washed out due to rain. However, in their second match, the Afghan batters put on a show after being sent in to bat first. Opener Gulbadin Naib led the charge against the Scottish bowlers, scoring 69 runs off just 30 balls. This explosive performance helped set a target of 179 runs, which Scotland failed to chase, being bowled out for just 123 runs.

With a significant 55-run victory, Rashid Khan’s team completed their preparations for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. Winning the toss and opting to bat, Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz early. Ibrahim Zadran, who came in at number three, also fell quickly. However, Gulbadin Naib, opening the innings, stood out. In the second over of the innings, he took 20 runs off Brandon McMullen. With fearless batting, Naib reached his fifty in just 21 balls.

Azmatullah Omarzai, who supported him well, was close to a fifty too but was dismissed by Mark Watt for 48 runs. Before getting out, Naib scored 69 runs off just 30 balls with a strike rate of 230, hitting more sixes (6) than boundaries.

Mohammad Nabi added 16 runs before departing, and Rashid Khan played a brief cameo, scoring 15 runs off 7 balls. Afghanistan's innings ended at 178 runs when Rashid was dismissed on the last ball.

Chasing a big target, Scotland's batters struggled from the start. Only one of their first six batters reached double figures. Opener George Munsey scored 28 runs off 18 balls, while Mark Watt top-scored with 34 runs. Eventually, Scotland was restricted to 123 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. With this comprehensive 55-run win, Afghanistan advanced to the main stage of the World Cup.