"Afghanistan is becoming the team that everyone thought Bangladesh would become"- Fans react after Afghanistan's victory vs Sri Lanka in World Cup
Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka comprehensively by seven wickets in the 2023 World Cup at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Monday, October 30. It was their third win in the tournament after six games, leading them to the fifth position in the points table.
After being asked to bat first in the contest, Sri Lanka managed to reach 241 in 49.3 overs. Pathum Nissanka (46), Kusal Mendis (39), Sadeera Samarawickrama (36), and Maheesh Theekshana (29) got starts. However, none of them could convert them, which dented Sri Lanka's chances of scoring a big total.
Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi was the star performer in the bowling department for the Afghan side as he scalped four wickets.
Azmatullah Omarzai (73*), Rahmat Shah (62), and Hashmatullah Shahidi (58*) then hit fluent half-centuries to help Afghanistan chase down the target comfortably in 45.2 overs.
Several former cricketers and fans were happy after witnessing a dominant performance from Afghanistan against the Sri Lankan team. They heaped praise on them through their reactions on X (formerly Twitter).
Here are some of the best reactions:
"The game against Pakistan gave us a lot of confidence"- Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi after win against Sri Lanka
At the post-match presentation, Afghan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi reflected on the win against Sri Lanka and said:
"Quite happy, I'm proud of the team the way we performed in all three departments. The game against Pakistan gave us a lot of confidence and belief that we can chase any kind of target. We started well in every aspect, we were very professional in the run-chase."
Lauding the support staff's contribution, Shahidi said:
"The support staff is always positive, worked very hard before coming into the World Cup. They work really hard and provide us with a lot of confidence, especially Jonathan, he's always positive.
Shahidi further spoke about finishing the game off, Rashid Khan's prowess and Indian fans' support, saying:
"Before the Pakistan game, he told me something that changed my mindset a lot. In the last game and today as well, I'm happy to have finished the game off. I'll be happy to do so going ahead."
He added:
"Rashid Khan is a very special player, the best in the world. Very energetic guy, and his energy rubs off on the team."
"I congratulate our nation on the win, and thank all the Indian supporters for coming to the ground to cheer for us."
Afghanistan will next face the Netherlands on November 3 in Lucknow.