Last Update on: October 23rd, 2023 at 10:25 pm
Afghanistan thumped Pakistan by 8 wickets.
Afghanistan registered their second win of the ICC World Cup 2023.
MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai was host to PAK vs AFG, which was Match 22 of the ICC World Cup 2023. It was a thriller of a match which saw Afghanistan thumping Pakistan by 8 wickets and registering their second win of the tournament.
Pakistan opted to bat first and they had a rollicking start with the bat. Abdullah Shafique (58) and Imam-ul-Haq (17) batted beautifully and put Afghanistan bowlers under pressure. After the left-hander was back in the hut, the right-hander brought up his half-century.
The end of the opening partnership triggered a bit of collapse as Pakistan lost wickets in quick time. Skipper Babar Azam then held the fort for his team and slammed a much-needed half-century that kept Pakistan in the game and made sure that they didn’t clatter.
Babar Azam played a magnificent innings of 74 runs. Saud Shakeel (25) chipped in as well before Shadab Khan (40) and Iftikhar Ahmed (40) hit some lusty blows in the end and made sure that Pakistan ended with a decent total. Their effort powered Men in Green to a total of 282 runs. For Afghanistan, Noor Ahmad was the pick of the bowlers with his figures of 3/49.
Afghanistan then got off the dream start as Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) and Ibrahim Zadran (87) brought their best with the bat and put Pakistan bowlers under pressure. They added 130 runs for the opening stand and made sure that their side got the platform to chase the target.
After their staggering start, Rahmat Shah (77*) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (48*) held the fort and batted magnificently despite Pakistan bowling some tough lines and lengths. They held their nerves and took the game deep. And in the end, won the game by 8 wickets to register their second game of the tournament.
Updated ICC World Cup Points Table 2023 After PAK vs AFG Match 22
| POS | TEAM | PLAYED | WON | LOST | N/R | TIED | NET RR | POINTS |
| 1 | India | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1.353 | 10 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1.481 | 8 |
| 3 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2.212 | 6 |
| 4 | Australia | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.193 | 4 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -0.400 | 4 |
| 6 | Afghanistan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -0.969 | 4 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -0.784 | 2 |
| 8 | Netherlands | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -0.790 | 2 |
| 9 | Sri Lanka | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -1.048 | 2 |
| 10 | England | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -1.248 | 2 |
After the PAK vs AFG Match 22, there wasn’t any change in the upper half of the points table. India continued being at the top followed by New Zealand and South Africa. Pakistan’s NRR dropped to -0.400. Afghanistan after their win had a massive hike and are now 6th on the table. England were pushed down to last spot.
Highest Run-getter In World Cup 2023 After PAK vs AFG Match 22
| Pos | Player | Team | Runs | Innings | Bat Avg |
| 1 | VIRAT KOHLI | IND | 354 | 5 | 118.00 |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma | IND | 311 | 5 | 62.20 |
| 3 | Mohammad Rizwan | PAK | 302 | 5 | 75.50 |
| 4 | Rachin Ravindra | NZ | 290 | 5 | 72.50 |
| 5 | Daryl Mitchell | NZ | 268 | 4 | 89.33 |
| 6 | Abdullah Shafique | PAK | 255 | 4 | 63.75 |
After the PAK vs AFG Match 22, there wasn’t any change in the top five leading run-getters of the ICC World Cup 2023. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are at No.1 and No.2 spot. Mohammed Rizwan had a great chance to surpass both the batters but he couldn’t as he got out early. Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell are at fourth and fifth. Abdullah Shafique after his half-century climbed to the 6th spot.
Highest Wicket-taker In World Cup 2023 PAK vs AFG Match 22
| Pos | Player | Team | Wickets | Innings |
| 1 | MITCH SANTNER | NZ | 12 | 5 |
| 2 | Dilshan Madushanka | SL | 11 | 4 |
| 3 | Jasprit Bumrah | IND | 11 | 5 |
| 4 | Matt Henry | NZ | 10 | 5 |
| 5 | Shaheen Shah Afridi | PAK | 10 | 5 |
Mitchell Santner continued being at the top after PAK vs AFG. Dilshan Madushanka retained the No. 2 spot. Jasprit Bumrah is 3rd on the table with 11 wickets whereas Matt Henry is at 4th. Shaheen Afridi despite taking one wicket in the game stayed fifth on the table.
