By Zainab Shafiq 
In the grand spectacle of the ODI World Cup 2023, Afghanistan emerged as an underdog, but they shattered the preconceived notions that underestimated their cricketing prowess. The match, held at India’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, saw England winning the toss and choosing to bat, a decision that seemed to favor them significantly. However, Afghanistan was determined to prove themselves on the global stage.
Afghanistan’s batters showed remarkable resilience as they set a challenging target of 285 runs for England to chase down. England’s bowlers, though considered formidable, struggled to dismiss Afghanistan’s batters. Adil Rashid took 3 wickets, Mark Wood claimed 2, and Joe Root secured 1. Reece Topley and Liam Livingstone added to the mix with a wicket each, supported by two run-outs executed by agile fielders.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the opener, played a sensational innings, contributing 80 runs to Afghanistan’s total, while Ibrahim Zadran added 28. Unfortunately, the top-order collapsed, and Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai couldn’t make significant contributions. However, Ikram Alikhil played a pivotal role with his 58 runs. Rashid Khan’s 23 and Mujeeb ur Rehman’s 28 were instrumental in pushing the score further, ultimately reaching the challenging total.
In their pursuit of Afghanistan’s formidable score, England faced a relentless Afghan bowling attack. Afghanistan’s bowlers picked off England’s batsmen, securing a victory in 40.3 overs with England scoring 215 runs. Harry Brook was the highest scorer for England with 66 runs, but the rest of the team couldn’t withstand the pressure.
Rashid Khan’s exceptional performance, with 3 wickets for 37 runs, was the highlight of Afghanistan’s bowling. Mohammad Nabi contributed with 2 wickets for just 16 runs in 6 overs, and Mujeeb also secured 3 wickets while maintaining an economy rate of around 5. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen ul Haq chipped in with a wicket each.
With this impressive victory over England, Afghanistan has not only secured their place in the ODI World Cup but also improved their Net Run Rate significantly. They are now sixth on the points table with 3 wins out of 4 matches, just below England. This incredible triumph has shown the world that Afghanistan is a cricketing force to be reckoned with, and they should never be underestimated.
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