have made in international cricket. The victory was celebrated exuberantly by Afghan fans and stands as a beacon of hope and pride for the nation amidst challenging times. The British newspaper, The Telegraph, captured the sentiment by headlining, “England defeated by inspired Afghanistan in one of Cricket World Cup’s greatest upsets.”
Following this victory, Afghanistan has climbed to the sixth position in the points table of the World Cricket Cup. This improvement in standings is a significant morale booster for the team and raises the prospects for more competitive performances in their upcoming matches.
Afghanistan shocked defending champions England by 69 runs. They downed England at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Sent in to bat, Afghanistan were all out for 284, but
returned to dismiss England for 215 to create one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Earlier, Rahmatullah Gurbaz top-scored for Afghanistan with a 57-ball 80, while his opening partner Ibrahim Zadran contributed 28 in a first-wicket partnership of 114 in 16 overs. Ikram Alikhil then made 58 off 66 balls, while star leg-spinner Rashid Khan & Mujeeb Ur Rahman chipped in with 23 & 28 respectively as Afghanistan recovered from 190 for 6 to post a good total on board.
In reply, Harry Brook made a 61-ball 66 to keep England’s hopes alive, but they eventually could not counter the disciplined effort of the Afghan bowlers, led by Rashid Khan (3/37) & Mujeeb Ur Rahman (3/51), Mohammad Nabi (2/16), Fazalhaq Farooqi (1/50) & Naveen-ul-Haq (1/14) also chipped in. If Australia & Sri Lanka could not open their account & cause a big shock in reverse order, Afghanistan’s convincing victory over England, where cricket was supposed to be born, was a real shocker.
England’s defeat has been attributed to a lackluster performance both in the field and with the bat. Apart from Brook, the English batsmen struggled against Afghanistan’s bowling attack. The loss has put England’s campaign in jeopardy, as they now face a tough road ahead in the group stages with little room for error.
The win is a monumental achievement for Afghanistan, reflecting the tremendous progress they
England, on the other hand, faces a critical situation. They need to significantly improve their game strategy and execution to reclaim their foothold in the tournament. With challenging matches ahead, the team needs to introspect and bounce back strongly to defend their title.
This match has etched itself into the annals of cricket history, demonstrating that passion, determination, and skill can indeed challenge and overcome the most formidable opponents
