Afghanistan may have failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup, but they will leave India proudly. Having lost all their games in the 2019 edition, the Asian 'minnows' registered emphatic victories against the three world champions this time. They started with creating an upset against defending champions England, then recorded a maiden ODI win against Pakistan, followed by a thrashing of Sri Lanka.
Not to forget, Afghans put up a tough fight against Australia and South Africa. They were in contention for the last semi-final spot until the end, but a loss to Australia and New Zealand's five-wicket win over Sri Lanka dashed their hopes. However, Hashmatullah Shahidi and his team will be holding their heads high as they finish the tournament as the second-best team in Asia.
The Afghanistan team received huge support from the Indian fans throughout their campaign. Their spirited display also deserves such love. Meanwhile, their opening batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who played a key role in their successful outing, won hearts with a beautiful off-field gesture.
In a video circulating on social media, Gurbaz was seen silently giving money to needy people on the streets of Ahmedabad in the wee hours of Sunday (November 12) morning. The 21-year-old left the money beside the people sleeping on the street without waking them up. His kind gesture coming on the eve of Diwali will ensure that the poor also enjoy the festival.
Watch the video below:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz secretly donated cash to Ahmedabad's impoverished residents so they may enjoy Diwali.
— Ritu Raj Singh (@RituR3) November 12, 2023
A beautiful gesture by Gurbaz...👏❤️#PAKvsENG #Semifinals #शुभ_दीपावली#INDvsNED #INDvsNZ #ViratKohli𓃵 #RohitSharma𓃵 #ShubhDeepawali #Tiger3Review #दिवाली_की_शुभकामनाएँ pic.twitter.com/ozTLCApbLc
Afghanistan's final group match against South Africa was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Despite having just a moderate score to defend, their bowlers made the Proteas batters sweat to chase down 245 in 47.3 overs.
Gurbaz was instrumental in Afghanistan's victories against England and Pakistan, scoring half-centuries. However, his form faded towards the end of the group stage as he managed just 56 runs in the last four matches. Overall, the right-hander scored 280 runs in nine matches at an average of 31.11 and a strike rate of 98.93. Afghanistan finished sixth in the points table with 8 points.