The West Indies surged into the Super 8 stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup with a commanding victory over Afghanistan in their final group match, showcasing a rare yet thrilling batting performance.
Key Statistical Highlights from the Match
Power play Performance
The West Indies posted a record-setting 92/1 during the Power play, the highest score in T20 World Cup history, surpassing the Netherlands' 91/1 against Ireland in 2014. This feat also ranks as the fourth-highest Power play total in all Men's T20Is. Notably, Azmatullah Omarzai’s fourth over conceded 36 runs, equalling the record for the most expensive over in T20Is, a record shared with Yuvraj Singh’s famous six-sixes over off Stuart Broad in the 2007 World Cup.
Nicholas Pooran’s Heroics
Pooran was instrumental in this explosive start, scoring 26 runs off the 36-run over (two boundaries and three sixes), while the remaining 10 came from extras. With this match, Pooran crossed the 500-sixes milestone in T20 cricket, joining an elite group that includes Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Colin Munro, and Rohit Sharma.
Record-Breaking Sixes
Pooran’s eight sixes in his 53-ball 98 took his T20I sixes count to 128, setting a new record for the West Indies and surpassing Chris Gayle’s previous tally of 124. Only Rohit Sharma (194), Martin Guptill (173), Jos Buttler (130), and Glenn Maxwell (129) have hit more sixes in Men’s T20Is. Pooran also became the first West Indies player to surpass 2,000 runs in T20I cricket.
Highest Individual Score
Pooran’s 98 became the highest individual score in the tournament's post-qualifying stage, overtaking Aaron Jones' unbeaten 94 off 40 balls in the USA’s opening win against Canada.
Top Team Total
The West Indies' 218/5 is the highest team score in the current tournament, surpassing the 200-run mark reached only twice before: Australia’s 201/7 against England and Sri Lanka’s 201/6 against the Netherlands. This also marks the West Indies' highest total in T20 World Cup history, exceeding their previous bests of 205/6 against South Africa in 2007 and 205/4 against Australia in the 2012 semi-finals.
Significant Victory Margin
The West Indies' 104-run victory is their second-largest margin in T20Is, only behind their 134-run win against Uganda earlier in the month. Each of the West Indies' top five victories in this format has occurred in T20 World Cups. This margin is also Afghanistan's second-largest defeat in T20Is, following their 116-run loss to England in the 2012 tournament.
Top Victory Margins for West Indies in T20Is
1. 134 runs vs Uganda, Guyana, 2024
2. 104 runs vs Afghanistan, Gros Islet, 2024
3. 84 runs vs Pakistan, Mirpur, 2014
4. 74 runs vs Australia, Colombo RPS, 2012
5. 73 runs vs Bangladesh, Mirpur, 2014
Winning Streak
The West Indies have now achieved their longest winning streak in T20Is, with eight consecutive victories. This surpasses their previous record of seven straight wins between October 2012 and March 2013, which included their triumphant run in the 2012 T20 World Cup. Their current streak includes four wins in the group stage of this tournament, a three-match clean sweep against South Africa in a home series last month, and a win against Australia in Perth earlier this year. This also represents their longest winning streak in T20 World Cup history, bettering the three-match streaks from their victorious 2012 and 2016 campaigns and their semi-final run in 2014.
Captaincy Record
Rovman Powell has secured 14 wins as T20I captain, the second-most for the West Indies after Daren Sammy’s 28. Among West Indies captains with at least five matches, Powell boasts the highest win-loss ratio at 2.0 (14 wins and 7 losses), followed by Sammy’s 1.647 (28 wins and 17 losses).