ICC World Cup 2023: Afghanistan pulls off a historical win against England

In a remarkable match held in Delhi, Afghanistan made history by comfortably defeating the defending champions, England, with a convincing margin of 69 runs. The outstanding performance of Afghanistan's spinners in this thrilling contest will be remembered as a momentous victory, reminiscent of Ireland's historic win against England in the 2011 World Cup.

Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, England faced a formidable opening partnership as Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran put together a stunning 114-run stand for the first wicket. Gurbaz was the leading contributor with 80 runs, launching an assault on the England bowlers with eight boundaries and four towering sixes. However, his innings were cut short when he was run out in the 17th over. Following his departure, Afghanistan experienced a series of wicket losses at regular intervals. Ikram Alikhil (58) later played a crucial role by scoring a half-century and steering his team back on track. Nonetheless, after his dismissal, the remaining batters struggled to make an impact, resulting in Afghanistan being bowled out for 284 runs in 49.5 overs.

Chasing a target of 285 runs may not have appeared daunting for England, given their strong batting lineup. However, the Afghan bowlers began causing problems for the English batters right from the outset. Opener Jonny Bairstow was dismissed in just the second over, and England continued to lose wickets steadily. Apart from Harry Brook (66), none of the other batsmen managed to put up a significant score. In the end, England was bowled out for 215 runs in 40.3 overs. Rashid Khan (3/37) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (3/51) claimed three wickets each, while Mohammed Nabi (2/16) contributed with two wickets.

Following this remarkable victory, Afghanistan is set to face New Zealand on October 18, while England will confront South Africa in their next match on October 21.

Scorecard:

Afghanistan: 284/10 (49.5 overs)

England: 215/10 (40.3 overs)