Afghanistan achieved a significant 69-run victory against England, causing a major upset in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, October 15 (Sunday). The standout performer of the match, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, was recognized as the Player of the Match for his exceptional contributions.
Despite it not being an India game, the Delhi crowd turned out in large numbers, with many of them enthusiastically supporting the Afghanistan team. In a touching moment captured in the stadium, Mujeeb shared an emotional moment with a young fan. With tears streaming down his face, the young fan rejoiced in the overwhelming joy of Afghanistan's victory.
Mujeeb greeted and consoled the fan, and in response to rumours circulating on social media, he clarified that the boy was an Indian. He expressed his gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support.
"It’s not afghani boy it’s one young Indian boy so happy for ur win It was absolute pleasure meeting this little guy from India Delhi last night (Cricket is not just a game it's an emotion)💙Big thank you to all our amazing fans for coming down and supporting us last night the love and support is overwhelming. We are grateful for your continuous support and we can't wait for you to keep supporting us in the future❤🙌 thanks for love Delhi @ICC @cricketworldcup @Cricketracker @cricketaakash", Mujeeb wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, October 17.
On the same day of the match, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck, resulting in the loss of two lives in western Afghanistan. This region has been experiencing a series of continuous tremors, leading to a tragic death toll of at least 1,000 people over the past week.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman received the Player of the Match award for his outstanding all-round performance against England and dedicated the award to the earthquake victims.
"This is for the people back home who have been affected by the earthquake. As players and as a team, I wanted to dedicate my award to them," he stated during the post-match presentation on Sunday.
In their next match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, Afghanistan will face New Zealand at Chepauk, Chennai, on Wednesday, October 18 (Wednesday).