In seven ODIs before the game, Afghanistan had never defeated Pakistan but they chose the best occasion to correct that record, getting over the line in a convincing fashion in the 2023 World Cup clash. They were set a target of 283, which would have been the highest run chase against Pakistan in the World Cup.

Afghanistan were led by a 130-run stand by the openers, who scored their respective fifties but Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran both missed out on becoming the first batters from the country to score World Cup countries, getting out on 65 and 87, respectively.

Following their dismissals, the required run rate kept rising but Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi, battling cramps, kept Afghanistan in the hunt and eventually chased down the score with one over to spare. It was their second win of the tournament, having earlier defeated England, and overall their third ever win in the World Cup.

Earlier, Pakistan led by Babar Azam’s 30th half-century in this format and Iftikhar Ahmed’s stunning cameo, Pakistan posted a formidable score on a challenging pitch after they were struggling at 206-5 in 41.5 overs at one point.

The four Afghanistan spinners bowled a total of 38 overs, the third-highest number of overs sent by slower bowlers in a World Cup match.

The innings started with a 56-run stand between the openers, with Abdullah Shafique smashing a six off Naveen-Ul-Haq in the fifth over, marking Pakistan’s first powerplay six in 2023. Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed Imam-ul-Haq for 17 to continue his poor run in the competition.

Shafique persisted, making his second 50 in the edition off as many balls. Noor Ahmad, replacing Fazalhaq Farooqi, dismissed Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan in the space of two overs to put them on the back foot. But a 43-run partnership between Babar and Saud Shakeel provided some respite.

However, Mohammad Nabi ended Shakeel’s innings on 25 and the pivotal moment came in the 42nd over when Noor Ahmad removed Babar. Fortunately, Iftikhar Ahmed’s explosive six off Rashid Khan ignited a counter-attack, supported by his partnership with Shadab Khan, who replaced the unwell Mohammad Nawaz. Together, they added 73 runs for the sixth wicket, posing a significant threat to Afghanistan’s chances.

Noor, the youngest participant in the 2023 World Cup at 18, claimed three wickets for 49 runs in his World Cup debut, a significant contribution on a day when Afghanistan’s lead spinner Rashid Khan remained wicketless.