Author: Vaibhav Tripathi

After coming agonisingly close to securing their third victory in the 2023 World Cup but falling short, Pakistan captain Babar Azam conceded that the runs his team left out on the field – they were bowled out with 20 balls still remaining – played a crucial part in South Africa edging home in the best match of the tournament so far. Batting first, Pakistan posted a total of 270 all out in 46.4 overs, with Babarand Saud Shakeel both scoring half-centuries. In response, Aiden Markram’s 91, along with a resilient performance from the lower order, saw South Africa…

Despite arriving at the World Cup as champions in both formats of white-ball cricket, England’s title defence has been little short of a disaster, and spells the end of a special era. The team, led by Jos Buttler, has faced harsh criticism in the British media after dismal performances that have seen them win just one match out of five at the tournament. England’s chances of retaining the ODI World Cup have all but disappeared after a disheartening eight-wicket thrashing at the hands of Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on Thursday. It left them ninth in the points table, with only…

Jos Buttler, the England captain, finds himself in the midst of a ruinous World Cup campaign. Their hopes of defending the title are about to evaporate, after a crushing eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. They are ninth on the table with just a solitary win from five matches. And the skipper is willing to take some of the blame himself. Buttler expressed his dismay, saying, “Obviously, incredibly disappointing and incredibly frustrating. We’re not just losing. We’re losing by a long way and playing well short of our best. It’s a huge disappointment. It’s never for a lack of…

Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan’s captain, celebrated his team’s ‘historic win’ against Pakistan in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at Chennai, describing the victory as ‘sweet’. He emphasized that they wouldn’t rest on their laurels and would continue to work hard to secure more victories in the tournament. Shahidi, with an unbeaten 48 off 45 balls, struck the winning boundary to complete Afghanistan’s remarkable 283-run chase, surpassing their previous highest ODI chase of 274 against the UAE in Dubai in 2014. “This win tastes sweet,” he said. “The way we chased was very professional. We are now looking forward…

Afghanistan’s World Cup is turning out to be a long evening in a theatre of dreams. After stunning defending champions England, they put up a clinical performance to beat Pakistan in Chennai. The calmness and professionalism they showed in chasing 283 losing just two wickets on what was expected to be a slow pitch with some turn suggested it was no upset. A second win in their fifth game didn’t brighten Afghanistan’s semi-final chances, but dented Pakistan’s. Babar Azam & Co are still fifth on the table, ahead of Afghanistan on run rate. But a third successive defeat means they…

While not as storied as India-Pakistan or England-Australia clashes, recent Pakistan-Afghanistan games have delivered thrilling moments for fans. These neighboring nations share a growing rivalry, often leading to intense on-field exchanges. This fierce rivalry is set to captivate spectators once more as they face off in the ongoing World Cup 2023. Pakistan’s dominance against Afghanistan is unquestionable in ODI cricket, having secured victory in all seven of their previous encounters. Pakistan commenced the tournament on a strong note, triumphing over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, they then suffered back-to-back losses to arch-rivals India and five-time champions Australia. Their current…

Shubman Gill, India opening batter, provided an update on Hardik Pandya’s ankle injury after India’s thumping seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Pune. He said official intimation was expected on Friday morning. “Hardik Pandya was taken for a scan and the results are awaited,” said Gill at the post-match press conference. “He is with the team as the medical team is assessing him. More official update expected on Friday morning.” Pandya sustained an ankle injury while attempting to stop a boundary. The incident occurred when he was bowling, and he landed awkwardly while trying to prevent the ball from going for…

Catches win matches. Afghanistan’s failure to capitalize on opportunities proved costly. They let the game against New Zealand slip through their grasp in Chennai and suffered a 149-run loss. A fourth win in as many matches took New Zealand to the top of the World Cup table. After the stunning victory over England in Delhi, Afghanistan seemed to have fought back against New Zealand. From 109/1, the total became 110/4 in the 22nd over. The Afghans claimed three wickets in just nine balls. But shortcomings in the field made them pay a heavy price. They dropped five catches, at different…

Afghanistan’s thrilling victory over England has injected fresh dose of excitement into the World Cup. They demonstrated their ability to conquer any team when they hit their stride. This journey takes them to Chennai, where they face a formidable New Zealand team at MA Chidambaram Stadium on October 18. The spin-friendly conditions in Chennai could play to Afghanistan’s advantage. Having breezed past England, Netherlands and Bangladesh, New Zealand would look to maintain their unbeaten run. Their batting has been prolific and bowlers have demonstrated efficiency in taking wickets. The Kiwis understand the importance of accumulating points in a long competition…

In a remarkable turn of events, Afghanistan clinched a stunning 69-run victory against England, the defending champions, to mark their first ODI World Cup win since 2015. This defeat would have brought back traumatic memories to England supporters, of defeats to Ireland in 2011 and Bangladesh in 2015. It was after that 2015 defeat that England decided to reinvent their white-ball cricket, resulting in this era of success. But at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday night, the result was seldom in doubt, especially once Mujeeb Ur Rahman, player of the match for his 3-51, castled Joe Root for just…