ICC CWC 2023 has faced the biggest upset today in Eng vs Afg at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Dehli. The Defending Champion lost their second game.
No, doubt this was the biggest upset for the World Cup and Cricket Fans Supporters as the English Team was defeated by 69 runs.
Advertisement
See the latest ICC points table: ICC World Cup Points Table 2023 Update
The Victory in Afghanistan hand came after 8 years. Last, they won the game against Scott Land in the 2015 CWC.
Furthermore, This was the first Victory for the Afghanistan team against England.
Defending champions faced early challenges on the tricky Delhi wicket, with pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissing England’s reliable opener, Jonny Bairstow, with an inswinger on the very first ball of his spell.
Joe Root appeared promising upon arrival, but Mujeeb ur Rehman delivered a stunning delivery that sent him back to the pavilion after scoring just 11 runs.
Skipper Jos Buttler struggled from the outset with the bat and was removed for a very nine runs, courtesy of an excellent delivery by Naveen ul Haq.
Harry Brook was the sole English batter to stand firm and play a lengthy innings, contributing 66 runs off 61 balls with eight boundaries. However, he too couldn’t do much and lost his wicket to Mujeeb.
England’s batting performance suffered on the dead and slow pitch, with wickets falling at regular intervals. They lost all of their batters for a total of 215 runs.
Rashid and Mujeeb each claimed three wickets, Mohammad Nabi secured two, while Farooqi and Naveen took one each.
See: England vs New Zealand highlights: England Suffers Defeat by 9 Wickets
On the other hand, batting first, Rahmanullah Gurbaz provided a flying start for Afghanistan, with the team reaching 75-0 in just the first nine overs.
Gurbaz showcased his exceptional batting skills and played a rapid knock, amassing 80 runs off just 57 balls, including 12 boundaries, eight fours, and four sixes.
The left-handed batter was on the verge of achieving a well-deserved century, but a misunderstanding with his captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, led to his run-out just 20 runs short of the milestone.
Following Gurbaz’s dismissal, Afghanistan lost wickets in quick succession. Still, Ikram Akhil’s 58 and valuable contributions by Rashid (23) and Mujeeb (28) propelled Shahidi’s side to a competitive total of 284 runs.
Adil Rashid took three wickets for 42 runs, while Mark Wood, relying on his sheer pace, secured two wickets.
Eng vs Afg Squads:
England Squad:
- Jos Buttler (c)
- Moeen Ali
- Gus Atkinson
- Jonny Bairstow
- Sam Curran
- Liam Livingstone
- Dawid Malan
- Adil Rashid
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ben Stokes
- Reece Topley
- David Willey
- Mark Wood
- Chris Woakes
Afghanistan Squad:
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (c)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Riaz Hassan
- Rahmat Shah
- Najibullah Zadran
- Mohammad Nabi
- Ikram Alikhil
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Rashid Khan
- Mujeeb ur Rahman
- Noor Ahmad
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Abdul Rahman
- Naveen ul Haq
