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World Cup 2023 | Mujeeb, Gurbaz & Rashid Script Historic Afghanistan Win Over ENG

image-lnrn8k9nMujeeb Ur Rahman celebrates an English wicket at the 2023 World Cup (x.com)

Brief Scores: Afghanistan: 284 all out (49.5 overs) [Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 80 (57), Ikram Alikhil: 58 (66); Adil Rashid 3/42 (10), Mark Wood 2/50 (9)] defeat England: 215 all out (40.3 overs) [Harry Brook: 66 (61), Dawid Malan: 32 (39); Rashid Khan 3/37 (9.3), Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2/36 (6)] by 69 runs.

Afghanistan continues to scale new heights as they trounced defending champions England at the 2023 World Cup in Delhi. The win marked a historic one for the war-torn country, as it was their first-ever World Cup victory against a member nation, and their first overall against anyone at the grand stage in more than eight years.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s blinder, Alikhil’s 58 lifts AFG to 284

Being invited to bat first, Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz blasted his way to a scintillating 57-ball 80. The cricketer decimated England’s new-ball attack and was the chief aggressor during his 114-run opening stand with Ibrahim Zadran.

English spinner Adil Rashid eventually broke through the gates in the 17th over to hand his side their first breakthrough of the innings. He dismissed Zadran and also packed number three Rahmat Shah cheaply back into the pavilion the following over. Well-set Rahmanullah Gurbaz also became the casualty of his own doing as his runout reduced Afghanistan from 114-0 to 122-3 in the space of two overs.

Tight middle-overs bowling from Liam Livingstone and Joe Root ensured Afghans kept losing wickets as they eventually slumped to 190-6 with 14 overs still remaining in the innings.

Ikram Alikhil, however, kept the scoreboard ticking with a calculated 58 while lower-order batting contributions from spin twins Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman elevated Afghanistan to a competitive 284.

Afghan spinners unite to annihilate defending champions

England’s response featured no notable partnership as they kept losing wickets throughout the innings. New-ball pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi trapped Jonny Bairstow in his opening over, and his early breakthrough allowed his spin teammates to run through the English middle-order.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who opened the bowling, dismissed Joe Root, Chris Woakes and top-scorer Harry Brook to finish with 3-51 from his 10 overs. Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi also trapped dangermen Dawid Malan and Sam Curran at critical junctures of the innings, while star attraction Rashid Khan polished off the English tail with his scintillating three-fer.

The three spinners collectively kept England 69 runs down from their target, as Afghanistan scripted a historic first-ever win against a member nation at the World Cup. Moreover, they also leaped above heavyweights Australia, Sri Lanka to jump to number six on the 2023 World Cup points table.