ICC World Cup 2023: Afghanistan beat Pakistan by eight wickets

Chennai: In a thrilling encounter at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Afghanistan triumphed over Pakistan by eight wickets in the 22nd match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, marking their first-ever ODI victory against the Men in Green.

The Afghan team's spectacular run chase was orchestrated by outstanding batting performances. Ibrahim Zadran, with a commanding 87, set the stage for their victory, ably supported by Rahmat Shah, who remained unbeaten at 77, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who contributed a vital 65. Hashmatullah Shahidi also played a key role with his unbeaten 48.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 283. Skipper Babar Azam and opener Abdullah Shafique both notched half-centuries, laying a solid foundation for their innings. However, Afghanistan's young leg-spinner, Noor Ahmad, made a significant impact by taking two crucial wickets, slowing down Pakistan's progress.

Crucial contributions of 40 runs each from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan rescued Pakistan from a minor middle-order collapse when they found themselves at 163 for four. By the end of their innings, Pakistan managed to accumulate 282 runs for the loss of seven wickets.

Afghanistan's chase got off to a strong start, with Ibrahim and Gurbaz forming a formidable partnership of 130 runs. Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi eventually ended their alliance, providing the breakthrough for his team. Later in the innings, Hasan Ali dismissed Ibrahim, who also became the quickest player to reach 1000 runs for Afghanistan in ODIs.

Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi ensured that Afghanistan reached the target with ease, steering their team to a convincing victory. Pakistan's bowlers found it challenging to contain the Afghan batsmen.

With this result, Pakistan, with two wins and three losses, will face South Africa at the same venue on October 27. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is scheduled to play against Sri Lanka on October 30 in Lucknow.

Playing XI:

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq