Afghanistan on Sunday (October 15) pulled off one of the most significant upsets in World Cup history as they defeated England by 69 runs at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
Invited to bat first, Afghanistan posted 284 on the board before getting bundled out in 49.5 overs. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz top scored with 57-ball 80 while wicketkeeper-batter Ikram Alikhil played a crucial knock of 58 in 66 balls at No. 6.
In reply, England’s innings folded for a paltry 215 in 40.3 overs. It was a listless batting display from the defending champions. Besides Harry Brook (66), no one managed to cross the 40-run mark.
For Afghanistan, the spin troika of Rashid Khan (3-37), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (3-51) and Mohammad Nabi (2-16) were the wrecker-in-chief with the ball as they shared eight wickets among them.
After the game, Rashid hoped that their remarkable victory over England would bring a smile to the faces of his fellow countrymen in the aftermath of a series of devastating earthquakes.
"This is a big win for us. This kind of performance gives us the belief that we can beat any side on any day. It will give us the energy for the rest of the World Cup," Rashid Khan told the broadcasters.
"Cricket is something that brings joy to the people back home. Winning the game against England is big for us. Recently, we had an earthquake back home. Over 3,000 people lost their lives, many houses were destroyed, so this win will put a little bit of smile on their faces and maybe, they can little bit forget those days," he added.
Mujeeb, who was declared Player of the Match for his three wickets and a dazzling cameo of 16-ball 28, dedicated his award to his compatriots back in Afghanistan.
"I want to dedicate this award to the people back home, who have been affected by the earthquake. This is something we could do as a team and I could do myself as a player," Mujeeb said.
"It is a very proud moment to be here at the World Cup and beating the champions. Great achievement for the whole team and this is the kind of opportunity we have been working hard for. It was a wonderful performances by the bowlers and the batters."
Reflecting on the win, Rashid said they had set up small goals and just wanted to execute those without thinking about the result.
"I made it clear to everyone in the dressing room. Whatever happens in the tournament, we just have to fight till the end. We made small goals for ourselves. You just have to be happy that you gave your 100% while going back to the hotel."
Commenting on Mujeeb, Rashid said, "Mujeeb has been contributing consistently for us. We have been bowling together in the nets. We have been batting together in the nets. "We discuss what's the best ball to bowl on the wicket. Sharing information helps us. I'm lucky to have him around. Also, we have Nabi and great to have him who has plenty of experience.”
"It's a special occasion for Nabi. 150th game for him. Also, 100th game for Rahmat Shah. We said that we would celebrate after the win. This will be a memorable win for him. "We lost to England in the 2016 T20 World Cup here. We had a discussion about it. We restricted them to 140 but had a collapse. We learnt from the mistakes and really happy to win tonight," he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
