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Afghanistan achieved a landmark victory over defending champions England in the World Cup 2023 at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium on October 15. This marked their maiden triumph over England in any cricketing format, and only their second World Cup win, with their first being against Scotland in 2015.
With standout performances from Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored a swift 80 off 57 balls, and Ikram Alikhil's crucial 58 off 66, Afghanistan set a target of 284 runs. Facing the formidable Afghan spin trio of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, and Mohammad Nabi, England succumbed, folding at 215 runs, giving Afghanistan a victory margin of 69 runs.
Rashid Khan showcased his all-round skills, with figures of 3/37 and a quick 23 off 22 balls, reinforcing Afghanistan's dominance. Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricketing legend, took to Twitter to laud their performance, saying, "Wonderful all-round effort by Afghanistan... Loved the energy they carried on the field. Well played @ACBofficials."
Post-match, Rashid's dedication went out to the victims of a recent earthquake in Afghanistan, stating, ""Wonderful all-round effort by Afghanistan led by a solid knock from @RGurbaz_21 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz). Bad day for @ECB_cricket (England cricket). Against quality spinners, you have to read them from their hand, which the England batters failed to do. They read them off the pitch instead, which I felt led to their downfall. Loved the energy they carried on the field. Well played @ACBofficials"
Player of the Match, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, echoed this sentiment, dedicating his award to the earthquake victims and sharing insights into his gameplay strategy.
“Very proud moment to be here in the World Cup and beating the champions. It's a great achievement for the whole team, we worked hard for this day. We beat such a big team. It was a wonderful performance from the bowlers and the batters. As a spinner, it's pretty hard to bowl in the powerplay, you have only two fielders outside. That's something I've been working in the nets. Bowling with the new ball and trying to be as consistent as possible. That's something which has made me more effective,” Mujeeb said.
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