AfghaniSTUNNER: Underdogs deliver all-time World Cup upset as opener’s onslaught, spinners take down England

Afghanistan have claimed their greatest ever victory as a cricketing nation, stunning England by 69 runs to turn the entire World Cup on its head.

Jos Buttler’s side were roundly outplayed on their way to a shock 69-run defeat on Sunday (Monday morning AEDT) and have now lost two of their first three games in India to leave their chances of emerging from the group stage hanging by a thread. 

Having gone through the 2019 tournament winless and begun the 2023 edition with consecutive heavy losses to Bangladesh and India, few gave the underdogs a chance of toppling the reigning champions in Delhi.

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But a swashbuckling 80 off just 57 balls from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz proved a portent of things to come, with Afghanistan recovering from a mid-innings collapse to reach a competitive 284 from their 50 overs, before a superb team bowling performance ran through England for just 215.

Chief destroyer was star leg-spinner Rashid Khan (3/37), who finished off the famous win in style by clean bowling tailender Mark Wood; earlier, fellow tweaker Mujeeb Ur Rahman had followed up his cameo 16-ball 28 to end Afghanistan’s batting innings on a high with three wickets of his own, including the crucial scalps of Joe Root (11), and Harry Brook (66), the latter’s downfall all but ensuring victory.

The triumph pushes Afghanistan up to sixth on the World Cup table, only net run rate behind England, with Australia falling to last place in their stead.

This was for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan & Palestine. ????????

This will be one of the most memorable match ????

Thank you for your love and support ????????#ENGvsAFG #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/2G7ANSJu7E

— Rashid Khan (@RashiidKhann19) October 15, 2023

In terms of English stumbles on the biggest stage in one-day cricket this was a result to rank alongside the 2011 loss to Ireland in Bengaluru – a game that current Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott played in. 

Afghanistan are a more talented side but two thumping losses against India and Bangladesh, allied with England’s hard-won reputation in white-ball cricket, still made this a seismic result. 

Only Brook could offer any serious resistance with a 61-ball 66 in England’s reply which came to an end with 9.3 overs still remaining.

It is only the Afghans’ second-ever win at the ODI World Cup, the other coming against Scotland in 2015 in their first appearance.

“It’s about execution and we were not at the level we wanted to be with the ball and the bat,” a disappointed England captain Jos Buttler said.

“They are a really skilful attack with some fantastic spin bowlers. They put us under lots of pressure and we weren’t quite good enough today.”

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