Pakistan cricket team is living on the edge at the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023. The Babar Azam-led side's chances to advance to the Cricket World Cup semi-finals hang by a thread after it slipped to a third straight loss at the mega event. If losses against arch-rivals India and Australia were not enough, Pakistan slumped to an eight-wicket loss against a lower-ranked Afghanistan. Pakistan continue to remain stagnant at the fifth spot after having played five matches. They face formidable opponents like New Zealand and South Africa next.
After setting Afghanistan a 283-run target in Chennai on Monday, Pakistan needed wickets at regular intervals. However, their famed bowling line-up failed to deliver. To add to their plight, their fielding wasn't great either as east runs were leaked. During one such occasion, the Pakistan Team Director looked miffed and presumably walked off to the dressing room.
Afghanistan put on a stunning display of tight bowling and powerful hard-hitting to register a massive upset victory over Pakistan in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 here at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday.
Afghanistan created history by trouncing Pakistan for the first time in ODIs, courtesy of a fabulous batting display by Afghanistan's Top 4 and Noor Ahmed's outstanding three-wicket haul.
Pakistan's unhappy knack of slipping on banana skins resurfaced yet again as it turned out to be a red-letter day for the Afghanistan side as they caused a massive upset by trouncing Men in Green by 8 wickets in Chennai.
This is the second time the Afghanistan team caused a massive upset in the ongoing marquee event as the men of the warrior country defeated the defending champions England by 69 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) Ibrahim Zadran (87) and Rahmat Shah (77)* starred with the bat to help Afghanistan register a commanding upset triumph.
Chasing a target of 283, Afghanistan's dangerous openers made a brisk start, scoring 60 runs without loss in the opening powerplay.
In a spectacular show of boundary-hitting, both Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran struck fifty as Afghanistan's openers took the attack back to Pakistan.
With ANI inputs