PAK VS AFG: Afghanistan shock Pakistan by 8 wickets in World Cup

Afghanistan pulled off their second major shock of the Cricket World Cup on Monday when they sent Pakistan crashing to an eight-wicket defeat.

In the pursuit of a target of 283 runs to win, Afghanistan had some standout performances from their players. Ibrahim Zadran scored 87 runs, Rahmat Shah remained unbeaten at 77, Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 65, and their captain Hashmatullah Shahidi finished not out at 48. They managed to reach their goal with just six balls left.

Both Afghanistan and Pakistan have won two of their five group games, with three losses each. Afghanistan had previously surprised everyone by beating defending champions England. Pakistan, who won the World Cup in 1992, started with two wins but then lost their next two matches.

Before Afghanistan’s successful chase, Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam and opener Abdullah Shafique both scored half-centuries. However, Afghanistan’s young leg spinner Noor Ahmad made an impact by taking two wickets, slowing down Pakistan’s progress.

Pakistan faced a bit of a setback during the middle of their innings, with four wickets down at 163 runs. Still, contributions of 40 runs from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan helped Pakistan’s total go beyond 280, rescuing their innings.

By the end of the first innings, Pakistan scored 282 at the loss of seven wickets.