For a nation facing many problems, cricket has often been a uniting factor for people in Afghanistan. And the nation's historic victory over Australia in the Super 8 stage of 2024 T20 World Cup has created a fanatic frenzy back home. The win - which avenges the defeat from the 2023 ODI World Cup - has put Afghanistan in a great position to qualify for the semi-finals. And the joy among the players was multiplied back home, as several videos went viral, showing streets in Afghanistan packed with thousands of people celebrating the historic win.
Multiple videos showed that transport had come to a standstill. For as far as the eye went, people were on the streets. Loud fireworks went off into the sky almost every second, as people celebrated Afghanistan's first-ever win over Australia in T20 World Cups.
In another video that was by from Khost province of Afghanistan, people were celebrating the win over Australia with great enthusiasm.
The game has put Afghanistan right in the mix to qualify for their first-ever T20 World Cup semis. With Australia facing an in-form India and Afghanistan facing a downbeat Bangladesh, the race to the semis is now wide open.
The game was also sweet revenge for Afghanistan. Back in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Afghanistan had lost from a winning position. In that game, Australia won after being 90-7, as Glenn Maxwell scored a double century in one of the greatest ODI knocks of all time.
This time around, Maxwell made another half-century [59 (41)], but Afghanistan held on. Gulbadin Naib was the unlikely star with the ball, running through the Australia middle order. Outspoken pacer Naveen-ul-Haq also got three wickets.
As the Afghanistan team bus jammed to bowling coach Dwayne Bravo's song "Champion" after the win, the streets of Afghanistan went berserk in elation. A cricket fairytale is being written in the West Indies.