The streets of Kabul witnessed delirious celebrations as Afghanistan achieved a significant victory over Pakistan, in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. This historic win, the first-ever One Day International (ODI) victory against Pakistan for the Afghan cricket team, ignited euphoria among Afghan fans. The celebration was so intense that it included fireworks and even celebratory gunshots, reflecting the significance of this achievement for the fans.
The scenes in the capital city of Kabul and various other regions of the war-torn country were unprecedented. Afghanistan's triumph over Pakistan marked the yet another upset in the tournament, following their initial ODI World Cup win against defending champions England and Netherlands win over South Africa.
According to a report from AFP, the victory was welcomed with celebratory gunfire, enthusiastic crowd cheers, and fireworks across Kabul for approximately 15 minutes after the match's conclusion. This victory came at a time of heightened political and diplomatic tension between the two neighbouring nations.
Videos showing Afghan fans raising their rifles and firing shots into the sky during the celebrations have circulated widely on social media platforms.
Pakistan Lose Three Matches In A Row In World Cup 2023
The defeat to Afghanistan marked Pakistan’s third consecutive loss in the tournament.
The match, hosted at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, witnessed Afghanistan's remarkable eight-wicket triumph over Pakistan. Afghanistan chased down Pakistan's score of 282-7, primarily due to the strong opening partnership of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who amassed 130 runs off 128 balls.
Gurbaz contributed a brisk 65, while Zadran posted a solid 87, laying the foundation for Afghanistan's successful pursuit. Later, Rahmat Shah's 77 off 84 and Hashmatullah Shahidi 48 off 45 took Afghanistan past their target. Noor Ahmad was the earlier Afghanistan star who shone in this fixture as the teenager finished with figures of 3 for 49 and kept Pakistan down to a total less than 300 which they chased down with an over to spare.