In a thrilling World Cup match, Afghanistan secured an impressive 8-wicket victory over Pakistan. Afghanistan successfully chased down a target of 283 with six balls to spare, marking their highest successful run chase in this format.
Ibrahim Zadran contributed significantly with 87 runs, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz delivered a smashing performance with 65 runs. Rahmat Shah played a pivotal role, remaining unbeaten with a score of 77, which ultimately led Afghanistan to reach their target.
As a result of this victory, Afghanistan has climbed to the sixth position on the tournament table, while England currently occupies the bottom spot.
Despite a valiant effort from Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, who scored 74 runs from 92 balls, it was not enough to prevent Pakistan from suffering a loss. Teenager Noor Ahmad stood out among the Afghanistan bowlers, taking three crucial wickets for 49 runs.
This win for Afghanistan is particularly significant as it marks their first-ever victory over Pakistan in One Day Internationals (ODIs) after eight attempts.
In the match, Pakistan concluded their innings with a total of 282/7 against Afghanistan, thanks to a blistering performance in the death overs by Iftikhar Ahmed.
The 22nd match of the 2023 World Cup saw Pakistan winning the toss and opting to bat first at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. Shadab Khan replaced Muhammad Nawaz in the Pakistan lineup.
Read more:Afghanistan upset England in Thrilling ICC World Cup 2023 Clash
Pakistan managed to score 120 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in the first 25 overs. Imam-ul-Haq scored 17 runs before being dismissed, Abdullah Shafiq contributed 58 runs, and Mohammad Rizwan was out for 8 runs. Skipper Babar Azam notched up his second 50 in three games, providing stability to the team.
Here’s a breakdown of the runs scored by Pakistan’s batters:
- Abdullah Shafique: 58 (77)
- Imam-ul-Haq: 17 (24)
- Babar Azam: 74 (92)
- Mohammad Rizwan: 8 (18)
- Saud Shakeel: 25 (34)
- Shadab Khan: 40 (38)
- Iftikhar Ahmed: 40 (27)
The lineups for both teams were as follows:
Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
Afghanistan XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi”
