T20 WC: New Zealand beats Afghanistan by 8 wickets, ousts India from semis' race

DUBAI: New Zealand comfortably beat Afghanistan by eight wickets in their final Super 12 match to qualify for the semi-finals and send India out of the T20 World Cup here on Sunday.

New Zealand chased down the small target of 125 with 11 balls to spare to secure a top-2 finish in Group 2 with eight points from five matches.

The win by the Kiwis meant that India -- currently with four points from four matches -- cannot qualify for the semifinals even if it beats Namibia in its final Super 12 game on Monday.

Afghanistan ended their campaign on four points from five matches from which they secured two wins.

Captain Kane Williamson top-scored with an unbeaten 40 while Devon Conway contributed 36 not out.

For Afghanistan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan took a wicket each. Earlier, opting to bat, Afghanistan posted 124 for 8.

Najibullah Zadran top-scored for Afghanistan with a 73 while his other team-mates failed to make any substantial contribution.

For New Zealand, Trent Boult took three wickets for 17 runs while Tim Southee got two. Adam Milne, James Neesham and Ish Sodhi also grabbed one wicket each.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan: 124 for 8 in 20 overs (Najibullah Zadran 73; Trent Boult 3/17, Tim Southee 2/24).

New Zealand: 125 for 2 in 18.1 overs (Kane Williamson 40 not out, Devon Conway 36 not out; Rashid Khan 1/27).