In a stunning upset at the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023, Afghanistan achieved a remarkable victory over defending champions and strong contenders, England, with a convincing 69-run win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the Indian national capital.
The Afghan team’s triumph was powered by Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s explosive performance and an impressive all-round display by Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Mujeeb not only contributed a quick-fire 28 off 16 with the bat but also led a lion-hearted bowling effort, claiming 3 crucial wickets. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi also made significant contributions with three and two wickets, respectively.
For England, Harry Brook emerged as the highest scorer with 66 runs off 61 balls.
Defending a challenging total of 284, Afghanistan knew they needed early breakthroughs to put England on the back foot.
Fazaqlhaq Farooqi delivered the first blow by dismissing Jonny Bairstow for just 2 runs, caught plumb in front of the stumps. Mujeeb Ur Rahman compounded England’s problems by knocking out Joe Root’s stumps, leaving them at 33/2.
Afghanistan continued to dominate, with Dawid Malan offering a simple catch off Mohammad Nabi’s delivery, and Jos Buttler cleaned up by Naveen-ul-Haq. Rashid Khan removed Liam Livingstone, and Nabi sent back Sam Curran, further weakening the defending champions with a score of 117/5.
Harry Brook’s valiant efforts held the England innings together, scoring his second ODI fifty, but he struggled to find partners. Afghanistan tightened their grip on the game as Mujeeb dismissed Chris Woakes with a superb delivery, and Mujeeb’s brilliance sent Harry Brook packing in the 37th over.
The final blow came from Rashid Khan, who extinguished England’s hopes by claiming the last wicket, sealing Afghanistan’s historic 69-run victory over the defending champions.
Earlier, Afghanistan’s innings had been propelled by Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s aggressive batting and Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s late-order fireworks at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Gurbaz’s explosive 80 runs, combined with Ikram Alikhil’s crucial 58, helped Afghanistan set a competitive total of 284.
England had fought back admirably with Adil Rashid taking three wickets and Mark Wood claiming two, but Afghanistan’s performance ultimately proved too strong for the defending champions.
Afghanistan’s remarkable victory against England in the ODI World Cup marked a historic moment in the tournament, showcasing their growing prowess in international cricket.
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