Irfan Pathan, a former cricketer for India, became an Afghanistan supporter after his country defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in Monday’s ODI World Cup 2023 match at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Thanks to an incredible batting performance by Afghanistan’s Top 4, and an exceptional three-wicket haul from Noor Ahmed, Afghanistan created history by defeating Pakistan for the first time in One-Day Internationals.
Irfan Pathan, the former Indian pacer, was spotted dancing with Rashid Khan of Afghanistan in a post-match video that has gone viral. Here is the clip:
It was a day to remember for the Afghanistan team as they upset Men in Green by 8 wickets in Chennai, exposing Pakistan’s unfortunate habit of slipping on banana skins once more.
The men of the warrior nation defeated the reigning champions England by 69 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, causing a massive upset for the second time in the ongoing marquee event.
Rahmat Shah (77)*, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) and Ibrahim Zadran (87) were Afghanistan’s standout batsmen as they recorded a convincing upset victory.
Afghanistan’s dangerous openers got off to a quick start, scoring 60 runs without losing in the first powerplay as they pursued a target of 283 runs.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran both scored fifty runs in a thrilling display of boundary-hitting as Afghanistan’s openers returned the favour to Pakistan.
When returning player Shaheen Shah Afridi ran Gurbaz out for 65 off 53 balls, Gurbaz’s attack came to an end and Pakistan made the much-needed breakthrough.
Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim worked together to handle the difficult middle overs, and with a smooth partnership, they reduced the required runs to double figures, setting the stage for a successful conclusion in Chennai.
However, Hasan Ali gave his team a significant breakthrough when he ended an outstanding innings from Ibrahim Zadran for 87, keeping Pakistan in the game and setting up a thrilling finish.
Rahmat Shah also reached his half-century off 58 balls in the game’s 41st over.
As the pressure increased in the final innings, Rahmat and Hashmattullah Shah came through after the 40th over. The Afghanistan team was filled with joy as Rahmat and Hashmattulah led them home in style.