South Africa and India have advanced as the two other teams unbeaten in the group stage though both had their struggles in the United States leg of the tournament.
World champions India are placed at the top of the T20 International rankings, although their lead over the second-placed Australia has reduced from 10 to nine points.
Despite "nervousness" creeping into the camp, Rajput is assured that his side will be ready, but it will come down to the manner in which they execute their game.
UAE captain Muhammad Waseem said they won't treat the opening match against T20 World champions India as a big game and will look to play normally.
Steyn feels playing four-day first-class cricket could teach the Afghanistan players how to build their innings, which will also help them improve their game in the 50-over format.
Cricket Australia postponed a three-match T20 International home series against Afghanistan's men's team in August this year.
West Indies head into T20 World Cup on home soil with renewed hope
They know what it takes to win the 50-over World Cup, having won five of them in 12 editions, but Australia skipper Pat Cummins says they are never "weighed down" by history and will stick to basics against South Africa in the second semi-final in Kolkata on Thursday.
Former player Ian Smith questioned New Zealand's preparations for the T20 World Cup.
West Indies skipper Rovman Powell lauded Hope for showing his mettle after being dropped for the contest against England.
Saleem, 20, has yet to represent the national team in any format while Rasooli has shown strong form in the Shpageeza Cricket League, Afghanistan's domestic T20 tournament, after recovering from a finger injury.
India will enter the Asia Cup as a seven-time champions, most by any team, but adding an eighth title might just not feature on top of their bucket list.
None other than India skipper Virat Kohli acknowledged Afghanistan's rapid rise in the last four years.
Their eyes trained on the big-ticket T20 World Cup in the Americas in June, the national selectors aren't finding it easy to pick just one among Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the upcoming Afghanistan series.
'We have those players who played recently here in the CPL, they (have) got that experience. We share that experience with the boys. But I think in ICC (events), you always expect something different.'
Afghanistan on Sunday created one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, shocking defending champions England in New Delhi.
The 58-year-old feels that Australia and India were the best sides throughout the tournament, but Mitchell Marsh's side paid the price of their loss against Afghanistan.
With the IPL auction days away, some young cricketers who may launch a bidding war among the franchises.
Ahead of the ODI World Cup, an inspection team from the International Cricket Council is checking the readiness of venues that will host the quadrennial extravaganza in October-November this year.
India's Arshdeep Singh is in the race for the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year along with Pakistan's Babar Azam, Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza and Australia's Travis Head, the ICC revealed on Sunday.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has delayed the announcement of its World Cup squad until late May due to fitness and performance issues with some players.
'...it's very important that he scores runs (in the IPL) because it will put him in a good frame going to the World Cup.'
a former Kenya pacer tried to contact a Ugandan team member multiple times from different numbers during the T20 World Cup.
Rising from the ruins of war to challenge the world's cricketing establishment, Afghanistan's rag-tag team hope to inspire the conflict-ravaged nation with a strong showing at the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.
The Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) said the tournament will go ahead on schedule irrespective of India's participation.
The umpires decided to abandon the match after an inspection at 11.30 AM local time (9 PM IST).
India skipper Rohit Sharma is expecting the upcoming ODI World Cup in the country to be a highly-competitive affair since "the game has become faster".
Nepal made history on Saturday, shocking the West Indies by 19 runs in the first T20 International of the three-match series between the countries in Sharjah. It is their first-ever victory over a Full Member across formats.
Shivam Dube proved his utility in India's crowded batting line-up with a belligerent half-century to secure their six-wicket victory against Afghanistan in the opening T20 International in Mohali on Thursday.
Sunday's final can be called the ultimate stress-test day for every cricket fan's heartbeat.
IMAGES of the T20 World Cup match played between England and Afghanistan at the Perth Stadium on Saturday
'We are committed to leveraging our influence constructively to support the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in fostering cricket development and ensuring playing opportunities for both men and women in Afghanistan'.
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell retired from ODIs to focus on next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan selectors rule out T20 role for Babar, Rizwan and Afridi in near future
England will need to defeat Namibia in their last league match and hope that Scotland lose to Australia.
The just-concluded Asia Cup was deeply saturated with off-field drama. But even amidst the bedlam, there were sparks of brilliance, emergence of new stars and tears of failure.
Hosts USA will face Canada in the opening match on June 1, the ICC announced.
Without giving too much away, India head coach Rahul Dravid hinted at the possibility of playing wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the Caribbean leg of the T20 World Cup, starting with the Super 8 opener against Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan team has chalked out plans for the entire Australian side and is not just focused on its bete noire Glenn Maxwell, said skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi on the eve of their must-win Champions Trophy match.
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