In a thrilling World Cup encounter, Afghanistan achieved their first-ever victory over Pakistan in one-day cricket. They pulled off their highest successful chase in this format, chasing down a target of 283 with eight wickets and six balls to spare.
Ibrahim Zadran led the way with 87 runs, supported by Rahmanullah Gurbaz with 65 and Rahmat Shah’s unbeaten 77. This victory propelled Afghanistan to the sixth position in the tournament standings, while it left the defending champions, England, at the bottom of the table.
Captain Babar Azam contributed with 74 runs as Pakistan posted a total of 282-7 in Chennai. Afghanistan’s teenage spinner, Noor Ahmad, was the standout bowler, taking three wickets for 49 runs.
This remarkable win marked Afghanistan’s first triumph over Pakistan in ODIs in eight attempts and their highest successful chase, surpassing their previous record set in 2014 against the United Arab Emirates.
Additionally, it marked only the third World Cup win for Afghanistan, with previous victories over Scotland in 2015 and England in this tournament.