Despite crushing loss to Australia, Afghanistan may secure a spot in World Cup semifinals against India, here’s how

Afghanistan were so close, yet so far, as Australia and Glenn Maxwell broke their hearts on November 7 in Mumbai. On November 7, 2023, there was an exciting cricket match in Mumbai between Australia and Afghanistan as part of the 2023 World Cup. Afghanistan, led by captain Hasmatullah Shahidi, won the coin toss and decided to bat first. Their starting batters were Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, and they began the game well.

As the cricket match went on, Afghanistan did well, getting to 100 runs in 20.2 overs. Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran batted nicely together, making 58 runs without losing a wicket. Afghanistan kept doing great, especially thanks to Ibrahim Zadran, who did something amazing. He became the first Afghan player to score 100 runs in a World Cup match, which was a big deal because they were playing against a strong Australian team. Then, Rashid Khan did some impressive hitting at the end, and Afghanistan finished with 291 runs.

But when Australia started batting, things got tough. They lost Travis Head without scoring any runs, and Mitchell Marsh, who was playing aggressively, got out. After that, things got even worse for Australia. Azmat Omarzai got David Warner and Josh Inglis out in consecutive deliveries, and Australia was struggling at 49 for four.

After that, even Labuschagne, Stoinis, and Starc couldn’t save Australia. But then, Glenn Maxwell took over and scored an incredible 201 not out, turning the game around for Australia and giving them a surprising win. It was a tough blow for Afghanistan’s hopes. Even though Afghanistan lost, they still have a chance to make it to the semi-finals.

Afghanistan’s path to the World Cup 2023 semi-finals involves winning both their matches. They’ve lost one, and the next challenge is South Africa in Ahmedabad. Winning this game is important, but it might not be sufficient. The challenge is their run rate is not as strong as Pakistan and New Zealand. So, Afghanistan has to beat South Africa by a big margin or hope that both New Zealand and Pakistan lose their upcoming matches.

Remaining match for Afghanistan:

vs South Africa on November 10 in Ahmedabad.

Remaining match for New Zealand:

vs Sri Lanka on November 9 in Bangalore.

Remaining match for Pakistan:

vs England on November 11 in Kolkata