Rashid Khan played a quick-fire cameo with the bat as Afghanistan posted 291/5 against Australia in the 2023 World Cup match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday (November 7).
Rashid smashed an unbeaten 35 runs off 18 balls, including three sixes and two boundaries. The right-handed batter slammed two sixes and a boundary against Mitchell Starc in the final over of Afghanistan’s innings. He also shared a 59* partnership with centurion Ibrahim Zadran for the sixth wicket.
Following Rashid’s cameo, Australia must now chase their highest total in World Cups to beat Afghanistan.
Fans on X lauded Rashid Khan for his exceptional batting performance. One user wrote:
“Match made competitive by Rashid Khan’s cameo. Australia to chase record 292 at Wankhede.”
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Afghanistan set 292-run target for Australia in 2023 World Cup
A clinical batting performance from Ibrahim Zadran helped Afghanistan post 291/5 in their allotted 50 overs. Zadran smashed an unbeaten 129 runs off 143 balls, including three sixes and eight boundaries. With the ton, he became the first-ever Afghanistan player to hit a century in ODI World Cups.
Rahmat Shah and captain Hasmatullah Shahidi also chipped in with scores of 30 (44) and 26(43), respectively. Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz contributed 22 (18) and 21 (25), respectively.
Josh Hazlewood emerged as the pick of the Australia bowlers, returning with figures of 2/39, while Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, and Adam Zampa settled for one wicket apiece.
For the unversed, Afghanistan are coming in off the back of a hat-trick of wins against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands. They would draw inspiration from their victory over defending champions England earlier in the marquee ICC tournament. A win would strengthen their chances of qualification in the semifinals.
Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side will play their final league game against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 10.
Australia, on the other hand, have registered five consecutive wins after losing their first two games against India and South Africa. A win against Afghanistan will help the five-time ODI World champions qualify for the semifinals. Pat Cummins and Co. will next face Bangladesh in their last league game at the MCA Stadium in Pune on November 11.
Follow AFG vs AUS live score and updates here.
