Sleepless in St Vincent!

Afghanistan pacer Gulbadin Naib (second from left) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Australia’s Tim David during their T20 World Cup Super 8 match at St Vincent on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images

Afghanistan pulled off an upset of epic proportions with a shock 21-run win over mighty Australia in T20 World Cup with Gulbadin Naik's four-wicket haul upending Pat Cummins's hat-trick to produce one of most memorable days in Afghan cricket.

Using the slower balls smartly on a difficult batting wicket, Afghanistan defended their total of 148 for six for their first-ever win over Australia in international cricket.

Rashid Khan

Australia were all out for 127 in 19.2 overs and they are now staring at early elimination from the World Cup.

Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60) and Ibrahim Zadran (51) forged a 118-run partnership setting up base for a challenging total, but Cummins registered his second successive hat-trick spread across two overs to restrict Afghanistan to a manageable total.

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Gulbadin Naib shines

Australia were reduced to 32-3 in the Powerplay, but Glenn Maxwell slammed a 41-ball 59 to somewhat resurrect the chase. However, Naib's timely strikes proved crucial in toppling the 2021 champions.

Pat Cummins after claiming hat-trick against Afghanistan

Afghanistan exacted revenge for their defeat in Mumbai during the ODI World Cup. Maxwell's breathtaking double hundred denied a distraught Rashid Khan forty winks during November last year, but the Afghanistan skipper can now be happily awake after settling scores with Australia for that mind-numbing defeat in Mumbai.

The Aussies recovered miraculously from 91-7 to chase down 292 with Maxwell striking a tornado-like unbeaten 201.

"I think I can sleep better now. But that was a night which didn't let me sleep. The game kept coming into my mind," Rashid said at the post-match media conference, recollecting that epic fightback by a hamstrung Maxwell, who hit 21 fours and 10 sixes.

"Definitely, I didn't sleep the whole night [on November 7, 2023] and I feel like tonight because of the happiness, I won't be able to sleep.

That's how happy the whole team is," said a visibly happy Rashid.

The spinner then tried to provide an elaborate perspective to what the victory meant for a war-ravaged Afghanistan, where their cricket team's biggest win is an escape from daily hassles.

‘Great achievement'

"It's a massive win for us as a team, as a nation. It's not just like a bilateral game. It's a World Cup game, and definitely in a World Cup, you're beating the best side. It's a great achievement. And you're [Australia] the winners of the 2021 [T20] World Cup."

Afghanistan's win also kept Group 1 in Super 8s alive.

Rashid wasn't off the mark when he said cricket was the only source of happiness for people in Afghanistan, which is now ruled by the Taliban. "Cricket is the only source of happiness back home. That's the only source left in Afghanistan where people could celebrate. And if we keep that source away from us as well, I don't know where Afghanistan will remain," Rashid, one of the prominent global ambassadors of his country, said.

Talk

Michael Vaughan@MichaelVaughan
It's no surprise anymore that Afghanistan produce performances like we have just witnessed .. Extremely skillful set of players & brilliantly led by @rashidkhan_19

Tom Moody@TomMoodyCricket
This is big… @ACBofficials topple Australia for the very first time! Hats off to @rashidkhan_19 and his team of true fighters.

Sanjay Manjrekar@sanjaymanjrekar
Great win for Afghanistan! Used 8 bowlers to defend 148. Shows the benefits of having batters who can roll their arm over.

Adam Gilchrist@gilly381
Congratulations to @rashidkhan_19 and the Afghanistan team. History made. Looking forward to seeing how Aussies bounce back.

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