In a sensational upset, Afghanistan secured a resounding 69-run victory over defending champions England in the World Cup, marking their second-ever triumph in the tournament and propelling them from the bottom of the group standings at Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Afghanistan entered the match with a daunting record of losing 16 out of their last 17 World Cup encounters, with their lone victory occurring against Scotland in 2015.
Opting to bat first, Afghanistan posted a formidable total of 284, thanks to a blistering 80-run innings from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and a well-crafted half-century by Ikram Alikhil.
England's response faltered as they were bowled out for just 215 runs, with Harry Brook providing the only resistance with a fighting 66. The spin duo of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan claimed three wickets each, with Mujeeb's crucial dismissals of Joe Root and Brook setting the stage for a historic win, earning him the well-deserved Player of the Match accolade.
Mujeeb expressed his pride in achieving such a milestone, stating, "It's a very proud moment to be here in the World Cup and beating the champions; it's a great achievement for the whole region. I'm so happy with this performance."
Rashid Khan, hoping to bring joy to his homeland amidst the turmoil of earthquakes, expressed his wish that the victory would put smiles on the faces of the people in Afghanistan.
The Afghan team got off to a flying start with a 114-run opening partnership between Gurbaz and Zadran, scoring at an impressive rate of eight runs per over in the initial powerplay. However, England's Adil Rashid staged a comeback, picking up key wickets, including the stumping of Rahmat Shah.
Gurbaz seemed set for a century but was run out in a dramatic fashion, leaving him fuming as he departed the field. Alikhil and Rashid Khan contributed crucial runs, but their partnership was broken when Rashid Khan attempted a big shot and was caught in the deep by Joe Root.
England's chase was derailed early with the dismissals of Bairstow and Root. Despite a patient 32 from Dawid Malan, England's batting order struggled against Afghanistan's bowling attack. Jos Buttler's stumps were shattered by a delivery from Naveen-ul-Haq, leaving England reeling at 91-4.
Brook provided some resistance, reaching fifty with confident strokes, but he was eventually caught behind Mujeeb's bowling, triggering jubilant celebrations. Rashid Khan mopped up the tail, securing the memorable victory.
England captain Jos Buttler, disappointed by the outcome, conceded, "Congratulations to Afghanistan; they outplayed us today. We were not at the level we wanted to be with the ball and the bat."
As a result of this win, England found themselves in fifth place in the group standings with one victory from three matches, just one spot ahead of Afghanistan.
