Afghanistan kicked off the Under-19 Cricket World Cup with a bang, outplaying hosts South Africa by 28 runs in a high-stakes Group B encounter. Opting to bat, Afghanistan reached 225/9 thanks to a resilient 50 from Nematullah Khalil and solid contributions from the openers. Despite Kwena Maphaka’s impressive 4/32 for South Africa, the Afghan total proved too much. In response, South Africa’s chase unraveled against a disciplined spin attack led by Zia Ur Rehman. The Proteas were dismissed for 197, handing Afghanistan a historic victory on opening day.
