AFG vs SA | Twitter reacts to Nortje cranking up the heat in fierce altercation with Rashid

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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When the stakes are high, emotions often take over, leading to iconic battles that go down in cricketing folklore. The mismatch in profiles might keep the latest such clash between Rashid Khan and Anrich Nortje from making the history books, but it was intense and entertaining all the same.

‌Afghanistan's dream run in the 2024 T20 World Cup came to a crushing halt at Tarouba on Thursday after a charged-up Proteas attack bowled them out for a paltry 56 in tricky conditions. Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi proved to be the wreckers-in-chief with three scalps apiece while Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Norjte split the remaining four scalps equally between them. However, the thrashing did not keep the Afghans from keeping their spirits high, as was exemplified by a boisterous Rashid Khan in the face of serious mortal danger against Anrich Nortje.

The Proteas express quick had his tail up and a glint in his eyes as he charged in in the seventh over and took just three deliveries to open his account with the wicket of Azmatullah Omarzai. Out walked the Afghan skipper next and was greeted by an absolute jaffa that marginally missed the stumps on its way to the keeper. Bursting with excitement, Nortje followed up the effort with a searing bouncer that threatened to take the batter's head off but eventually ended up sailing just over as the umpires called wide. Rashid, not one to back down, immediately hurled some words the Saffa's way, only for Nortje to dismissively wave him away and return to his mark. However, Nortje did not deprive his counterpart of a riposte, as he cranked up the speeds to nearly 150ks with a length ball that was somehow timidly kept out by Rashid. The tensions thus boiled over, and the two headed towards each other to share some fierce words when the umpires stepped in to put the matter to bed.

Nortje ultimately had the last laugh as he sent Rashid's stumps flying in his ensuing over, thus providing some blockbuster entertainment for Twitterati.

Things getting heated!

In for a trat

Semi final effect

Bring the ring!

Superrr

This is aggression

He isn't

Absolutely

Things heating up

Bowled him

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