Pakistan faced off against Afghanistan in a thrilling match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai during the 2023 World Cup. Starting off, Pakistan set a target of 282/7, with captain Babar Azam leading the charge with his impressive 82 runs. Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan also contributed 40 runs each. Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmed made his mark on his World Cup debut taking 3 wickets.
In response, Afghanistan’s opening batsmen Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz formed a solid partnership, crossing the 100-run mark for the first wicket. However, Afghanistan will need to defy the odds and their historical record against Pakistan to secure a victory in this match.
Looking at their past encounters, these two teams have faced each other seven times in ODIs, with Pakistan emerging victorious on all seven occasions. The first match between them took place in 2012 in Sharjah, where Shahid Afridi’s stunning performance of 5/36 helped bowl out Afghanistan for 195. Pakistan chased down the target with ease, thanks to Younis Khan’s unbeaten 70.
Another notable match between these teams occurred during the 2019 World Cup in Leeds. Afghanistan set a target of 227/9, thanks to the contributions of Asghar Afghan and Najibullah Zadran. Pakistan stumbled in their chase, but Imad Wasim’s unbeaten 49 led them to a thrilling victory with two balls remaining.
Afghanistan came close to defeating Pakistan earlier this year in a bilateral series in Sri Lanka. Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s exceptional 151 guided Afghanistan to a total of 300/5. In a nail-biting finish, Fazalhaq Farooqi controversially ‘mankaded’ Shadab Khan, leaving Pakistan with just nine wickets remaining. Ultimately, Pakistan managed to secure a victory with a ball to spare.
As for the prospect of winning the World Cup, India, England, and Australia are among the favorites. Pakistan and New Zealand currently have equal odds for securing the fourth spot in the top four teams, while South Africa also has a fair chance of making it to the semifinals.
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