PremiumENG vs AFG: WATCH Delhi crowd chant "Rashid, Rashid" as Afghan batter walks out to bat
The enthusiastic Delhi crowd broke into chants of "Rashid, Rashid, Rashid!"
Last Updated: 05.02 PM, Oct 15, 2023
Match 13 of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 is currently underway at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, featuring England and Afghanistan. Despite the absence of Indian players on the field, the spirited crowd has been wholeheartedly supporting both sides. Notably, the Afghan all-rounder Rashid Khan has emerged as a clear fan favourite.
When Mark Wood dismissed Mohammad Nabi for 9, the enthusiastic Delhi crowd broke into chants of "Rashid, Rashid, Rashid!" To the delight of the fans, Rashid lived up to their expectations by smashing a boundary off the first ball he faced, courtesy of Wood's delivery.
The electrified Delhi crowd thoroughly enjoyed this spectacle, and videos of the all-rounder receiving cheers, love, and accolades have inundated social media, particularly on X (formerly known as Twitter).
In the context of the match, England won the toss and elected to bowl on Sunday, maintaining an unchanged lineup. Afghanistan made one change by replacing Najibullah Zadran with Ikram Alikhil.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz demonstrated his batting prowess by scoring a quick 50 from 33 balls, propelling Afghanistan to a total of 79/0 at the conclusion of the first powerplay. This marked Afghanistan's highest powerplay total in World Cup history. Gurbaz, along with Ibrahim Zadran, constructed a formidable 114-run partnership for the opening wicket. Subsequently, England staged a rapid comeback, taking four quick wickets.
Ibrahim Zadran (28) was dismissed in the 17th over, falling to Adil Rashid. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was run out in the 19th over after amassing 80 runs from 57 deliveries. The wickets of Rahman Shah (3) and Azmatullah Omarzai (19) were claimed by Rashid Khan and Liam Livingstone, respectively.
Currently, Rashid Khan and Ikram Alikhil are at the crease, steering Afghanistan beyond the 200-run mark.