In a stunning turn of events, New Zealand has been eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2024 at the group stage for the first time in their cricketing history. The team, captained by Kane Williamson, was knocked out following Afghanistan's seven-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea on Friday, June 14.
New Zealand's journey in the tournament was marked by early setbacks. They lost their opening match to Afghanistan by 84 runs and their second match to the West Indies by 13 runs. These defeats left them in a precarious position, needing to rely on the outcomes of other matches to advance.
However, Afghanistan's win over Papua New Guinea sealed New Zealand's fate, making it impossible for them to progress to the knockout stages, regardless of the results of their remaining group stage matches against Uganda on Saturday, June 15, and Papua New Guinea on Monday, June 17.
This early exit is a significant disappointment for New Zealand and their fans, marking the first time they have failed to advance beyond the group stage in the history of the T20 World Cup.