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