Chennai, India - October 23, 2023
Afghanistan pulled off a historic victory over Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, chasing down a target of 283 to win by eight wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This is Afghanistan's first-ever ODI win over Pakistan.
Afghanistan got off to a flying start, with openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah putting on a 116-run partnership for the first wicket. Gurbaz was dismissed for 72, but Shah continued to bat solidly and scored a century (110) to anchor the Afghan chase.
Hashmatullah Shahidi, the Afghanistan captain, also played a key role in the victory, scoring an unbeaten 60. He put on a 134-run partnership with Shah for the third wicket to take Afghanistan close to victory.
Needing just 39 runs to win with seven wickets in hand, Afghanistan finished the chase off in style, with Shahidi and Najibullah Zadran (40*) scoring the winning runs.
For Pakistan, Babar Azam top-scored with 74 runs, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to capitalize on his start. Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed both scored 40 runs, but Pakistan's total of 282/7 proved to be insufficient in the end.
Afghanistan's victory over Pakistan is a historic moment for the country and its cricket team. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Afghan players and coaches, and it is a sign of the country's growing cricketing prowess.
Congratulations to Afghanistan on their historic victory!
