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Afghanistan were on the verge of qualifying for ODI World Cup 2023 semifinals. They had caused a batting collapse but a cramped-up but determined Glenn Maxwell showed nerves of steel. Ironheart Maxwell pushed through the pain with a record-breaking double century to help Australia survive Afghanistan scare. As the two foes gear up for a rematch in T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan’s T20I captain Rashid Khan revealed that he still has nightmares about that knock.
"At night, whenever I'm going to sleep, sometimes I do think about that game," Khan told the ICC ahead of the Super 8 clash in St Vincent.
"It just comes in the mind. Sometimes when I think about that game, my body just changes.
"That was an unbelievable knock, one of the best innings we have ever seen."
On the other hand, Maxwell remembers extreme pain he suffered in the hot and humid conditions at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during the herculean knock.
“I do find a lot of people will come up and (talk about) that innings during the World Cup, which is nice. It's nice to have been able to touch and affect so many people and hopefully inspire people to want to play the game,” Maxwell said.
"But I've been able to park it and move on. Probably because it gave me so much pain – my body took so long to recover. I try not to think about it too much. Because that's the first thing I think about it, I associate it with pain," he added.
Meanwhile, Maxwell is yet to fire in the ongoing tournament with the bat. He has not been in the form and struggled with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
What happened when Australia played Afghanistan in T20 World Cup?
The only T20I clash between the two nations took place in T20 World Cup 2022. Hosts Australia survived a scare as they won by just four runs. Maxwell scored an unbeaten 32-ball 54 whereas Mitchell Marsh contributed with a 30-ball 45 as Australia posted 168/8. Naveen-ul-Haq starred with a three-wicket haul.
In the run chase, Afghanistan struggled to keep up with the require run rate. However, Rashid almost clinched a victory. The all-rounder remained unbeaten for 48 off 23 balls including three fours and four sixes but could not take Afghanistan over the line.
However, the narrow win ensured that then defending champions Australia don’t make it past the group stage in the marquee tournament.
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