The journey of the Afghanistan national cricket team in the T20 World Cup is one of the most remarkable stories in sports history.
From making their debut as an Associate nation in 2010 to reaching the semifinals in 2024 and competing fiercely in the 2026 edition, they have evolved from “underdogs” to a legitimate global powerhouse.
Below is the complete history of Afghanistan’s results in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup from 2007 through the current 2026 edition.
Complete T20 World Cup Record of Afghanistan (2007–2026)
| Edition | Host | Result | Key Highlights |
| 2007 | South Africa | Did Not Qualify | Afghanistan was not yet a major international competitor. |
| 2009 | England | Did Not Qualify | Still rising through the lower divisions of the ICC. |
| 2010 | West Indies | Group Stage | World Cup Debut. Played India and South Africa; showed promise but lost both. |
| 2012 | Sri Lanka | Group Stage | Lost to India and England. |
| 2014 | Bangladesh | First Round | First World Cup win (vs. Hong Kong), but failed to reach the Super 10. |
| 2016 | India | Super 10 | Historic win over West Indies (the eventual champions). Only team to beat them in that tournament. |
| 2021 | UAE / Oman | Super 12 | Won 2 out of 5 matches (vs. Scotland and Namibia). |
| 2022 | Australia | Super 12 | A tough tournament; two matches were washed out due to rain. |
| 2024 | USA / West Indies | Semifinals | Best performance to date. Defeated New Zealand and Australia to reach the final four. |
| 2026 | India / Sri Lanka | Group Stage | Heartbreaking double Super Over loss to South Africa; victory over UAE. |
Key Historical Milestones – Afghanistan at T20 World Cup So Far
The Breakthrough (2010–2014)
Afghanistan made their debut in 2010 in the West Indies. While they didn’t win a game, Noor Ali Zadran’s half-century against India signaled they weren’t just making up the numbers. Their first actual win came in 2014 against Hong Kong, though they failed to progress to the main draw.
The Giant Killers (2016)
The 2016 edition in India was their arrival on the world stage. They advanced through the qualifiers and famously defeated the West Indies in the Super 10 stage—the only team to beat the eventual champions in that tournament.
The Golden Era (2024)
The 2024 World Cup was historic. Led by Rashid Khan, Afghanistan dismantled New Zealand and pulled off a stunning upset against Australia. They reached their first-ever Semi-Final, eventually losing to South Africa in a low-scoring affair in Trinidad.
The Close Campaign (2026)
In the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup hosted by India and Sri Lanka, Afghanistan has had a roller-coaster Group Stage:
- vs New Zealand: Lost by 5 wickets in Chennai.
- vs South Africa: A heart-stopping Double Super Over thriller in Ahmedabad. After tying at 187, the first Super Over was also tied, with South Africa eventually winning the second.
- vs UAE: A crucial 5-wicket win in Delhi, powered by Azmatullah Omarzai’s 4/15 and an unbeaten 40.
The twin losses against the NZ and SA sides put the Asian side out of the Super-8 contention.
Note: Rashid Khan made history during the 2026 edition by becoming the first player to reach 700 wickets in all T20 cricket.
