Afghanistan pulled off a sensational eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday. Chasing 283 to win, Afghanistan reached the target with six balls to spare, thanks to a brilliant unbeaten 87 by opener Ibrahim Zadran.
Pakistan post 282/7 after Azam’s century
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first, hoping to put up a big score against the minnows. However, they were off to a shaky start as they lost Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq cheaply. Skipper Babar Azam then steadied the innings with a superb century, his third in the tournament. He was well supported by Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 67, and Shadab Khan, who scored 48. Pakistan finished with 282/7 in 50 overs, with Rashid Khan taking three wickets for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan chased down the target with ease
Afghanistan began their chase confidently, with Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz putting on 63 runs for the first wicket. Gurbaz fell for 35, but Zadran continued his assault on the Pakistani bowlers, hitting nine fours and two sixes in his 113-ball knock. He was joined by Hashmatullah Shahidi, who scored 74 not out, and the duo added an unbeaten 161-run stand for the third wicket. Afghanistan reached 286/2 in 49 overs, sealing their second win of the tournament.
Zadran was named player of the match
Zadran was named the player of the match for his match-winning knock, which also earned him praise from his captain Asghar Afghan. “He played very well today. He is a young talent and he has a bright future ahead of him,” Afghan said. Zadran said he was happy to contribute to his team’s victory. “I am very happy to score runs for my team and help them win. It was a tough chase, but we played positively and confidently,” he said.
Pakistan’s semi-final hopes in jeopardy
The defeat was a huge blow to Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals, as they slipped to sixth place in the points table with four points from five matches. They will have to win their remaining four matches and hope for other results to go their way to have a chance of qualifying. Pakistan’s next match is against New Zealand on October 27.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, moved up to seventh place with four points from six matches. They have already exceeded expectations by beating England and Pakistan in the tournament. Afghanistan’s next match is against South Africa on October 29.