Afghanistan cricket team’s journey in the ODI World Cup 2023 so far has been nothing short of a fairytale. The giant killers have produced not just one, but two upsets in the World Cup by beating defending champions England and rivals Pakistan at Delhi and Chepauk respectively.
It was as if their 69-run win against England was not enough, they went on to beat their rivals Pakistan for the very first time as well.
Considering the forms of both teams in the tournament, many pundits refused to term the win against Pakistan as an upset.
Afghanistan’s star-studded spinning attack featuring the likes of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Noor Ahmed, and Mohammad Nabi has helped their team perform at their level best and give the bigger teams a run for their money as well.
A big mention in the development of Afghanistan cricket goes to the BCCI who have stood by the team at every single step of the way.
The team has utilized Indian cricket grounds as their home turf as 3 grounds in Lucknow, Greater Noida, and Dehradun respectively have seen the Afghans play their games in the past. The impressive 8-wicket win against Pakistan marked Afghanistan’s 2nd win in the tournament which saw some amazing displays with the bat and ball by the players in Chepauk. The win also brought them to 6th place in the league table after 5 games.
Another important thing to note about this spirited side is the fact that despite their nation’s history being filled with terror and destruction, they have still managed to have the spirit to play and win. “India is the second home to us,” the players say and Indians leave no chance to reciprocate the same love.
