Former Indian All-Rounder Irfan Pathan joins the celebration with Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan after the historic pak afg clash at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.
In a historic moment, Afghanistan secured their first-ever ODI win against Pakistan in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, triumphing by eight wickets.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan, currently working as a broadcaster, celebrated alongside Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan with a lively bhangra dance on the field after the match. Pathan later expressed his admiration for Rashid on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), commending his promise-fulfilling performance.
Despite the celebratory dance, Irfan Pathan faced criticism and trolling for his actions, as he is now a broadcaster.
This decisive victory elevated Afghanistan to the sixth position on the tournament’s points table, while Pakistan sits in fifth place, albeit with a superior net run rate.
The match commenced with Pakistan batting, and they managed to post a respectable total of 282 runs for the loss of seven wickets. Captain Babar Azam and opener Abdullah Shafique played pivotal roles, both contributing impressive half-centuries. Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed also made notable contributions, each scoring 40 runs.
However, the standout performer for Afghanistan in the first innings was 18-year-old Noor Ahmad, making his World Cup debut. The young bowler delivered a remarkable performance, taking three crucial wickets while conceding just 49 runs in his allotted 10 overs.
In response, Afghanistan displayed an exceptional performance. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran set the stage with a remarkable 130-run partnership. Gurbaz scored a rapid 65 runs from 53 deliveries, while Zadran came close to securing his first ODI World Cup century, amassing 87 runs in 113 balls.
Rahmat Shah and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi further solidified the chase with an unbeaten 94-run partnership, ultimately guiding Afghanistan to their historic victory.
pak afg 2023 World Cup Squad
Pakistan Squad:
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Abdullah Shafique
- Babar Azam (C)
- Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
- Saud Shakeel
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Shahdab khan
- Hasan Ali
- Usama Mir
- Shaheen Afridi
- Haris Rauf
Afghanistan Squad:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Rahmat Shah
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (C)
- Mohammad Nabi
- Ikram Alikhil
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Rashid Khan
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Naveen-ul-Haq