Afghanistan’s chances of qualifying for the semifinals of the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup ended as the team was bowled out for 244 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Afghanistan entered the clash with a net run rate of -0.338 and needed an almost impossible equation to increase its qualification chances, a win by at least 438 runs to be precise.
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Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to bat first, giving his side a slender opportunity to break into the top four. Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a ton against Australia in the previous match, and his opening partner Rahmanullah Gurbaz got off to a steady start, putting on a 41-run partnership. But Keshav Maharaj’s introduction caused all sorts of problems as he removed both the openers in successive overs.
Afghanistan then crumbled like a house of cards but Azmatullah Omarzai steadied the ship with a defieant 97 not-out and helped Afghanistan to 244 in 50 overs. However, the side eventually bowed out of the tournament even before the match ended.
But Shahidi’s men can keep their heads held high with the kind of performances they’ve put on during the tournament. They registered wins over three World Cup winners.
After a middling start to the 2023 season with just three ODI wins out of 11, Afghanistan entered the World Cup with not much to look forward but under the tutelage of former England captain Jonathan Trott, the team made heads turn with some impressive wins.
Afghanistan’s surge started with a shock 69-run win over England but it faced a roadblock as it suffered a crushing 179-run loss against 2019 runner-up New Zealand. However, the side bounced back with a hat-trick of wins that included victories against Pakistan (by eight wickets) and Sri Lanka (by seven wickets) to give itself a hope of finishing with 12 points.
Afghanistan came close to creating history by winning against five-time champion Australia, leaving the side reeling at 91/7 at one point. But a slew of misfields and an injured Glenn Maxwell played spoilsport. After getting a lifeline at 33 via Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s dropped catch, Maxwell went on to smash an unbeaten 201 off just 68 balls including a whopping 21 fours and 10 sixes. The Aussies eventually won the clash by three wickets to qualify while Afghanistan was left stranded at eight points, chasing an improbable chance at qualifying.
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