Riding a wave of impressive performances, the Afghanistan cricket team etched their names in history by defeating Australia for the first time ever in a T20 match. This victory significantly bolstered their chances of reaching the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals. The win sparked widespread celebration on social media, with fans around the world applauding Afghanistan's meteoric rise in cricket. However, a shadow of suspicion was cast by some who questioned Afghanistan's commitment when playing against India, hinting at potential influence from lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) contracts.
India's spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin, known for his outspoken nature, wasn't having any of it. A Pakistani journalist had fueled these doubts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), claiming Afghanistan team could defeat any team except India due to the financial allure of IPL contracts for Afghan players.
"Afghanistan can beat any team in the world except India for obvious reasons. IPL contracts are very precious," the journalist posted.
Ashwin teaches Pakistani journalist a lesson
Ashwin, clearly frustrated by the implication, took to X (formerly Twitter) and directed his message towards the platform's owner, Elon Musk. Ashwin's message suggested a desire for X to have a system in place that would prevent such remarks from appearing on his timeline.
"I can't tell u what to do @elonmusk but I should certainly have the right to decide who enters my house. My timeline my decision," he wrote.
A user prompted Ashwin to block such people to which he replied in another post which read:
"It's shouldn't be my duty to block a set of handles every day. I know who I want to follow."
Afghanistan's dream run in the T20 World Cup continues! After stunning both New Zealand and Australia, they've set their sights on another win against Bangladesh in the Super 8s. A victory here would significantly strengthen their chances of reaching the coveted semi-finals. However, qualification for Bangladesh gets a bit trickier. While they need to defeat Afghanistan, their fate also hinges on India's final match against Australia. A win for India against Australia would ensure Bangladesh's direct progression. Here's where things get interesting as Afghanistan has two alternative paths to the semis. One involves a convincing win over Bangladesh coupled with a narrow Australian victory over India. The other scenario relies solely on Afghanistan, where a massive win against Bangladesh secures their spot regardless of the India-Australia outcome.
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