Babar Azam gifts his bat to Rahmanullah Gurbaz after Afghanistan script history Vs PAK in ICC CWC 2023

Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored smashed 65 runs in Afghanistan historic win over Pakistan.

Afghanistan achieved a remarkable victory against their long-standing rivals, Pakistan, triumphing by a convincing margin of 8 wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. This landmark win marked a momentous occasion as Afghanistan notched their very first win in ODIs against Pakistan after 8 encounters.

The journey to this remarkable victory began with Afghanistan being tasked to chase down a target of 283 runs. During the chase, the opening batsman, Gurbaz, played a crucial role with an exceptional performance, accumulating an impressive 65 runs from just 53 balls. In contrast, his partner, Ibrahim Zadran, contributed significantly by scoring 87 runs off 113 balls. Together, they established a formidable opening partnership that yielded a substantial total of 130 runs, creating a strong foundation for Afghanistan's victorious pursuit.

As the game progressed, the middle phase witnessed Rahmat Shah emerging as a key figure in Afghanistan's journey to victory. Shah played a pivotal role by accumulating an unbeaten 77 runs from 84 deliveries, demonstrating his composure and skill under pressure.

He formed an indispensable unbroken partnership of 86 runs with the team's skipper, Hashmatullah Shahidi, who contributed with an unbeaten 48 runs. This partnership was the keystone of Afghanistan's successful pursuit, as they chased the target in just 49 overs. Importantly, this was after Afghanistan had previously held Pakistan to a challenging total of 282/7 in their allotted 50 overs.

Babar Azam Gifts His Bat To Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Following the match, Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, made a heartwarming gesture by gifting his cricket bat to Afghanistan opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz. A photo of the two cricketers, Azam and Gurbaz, has since gone viral, showing them posing together with the bat that was presented by the Pakistan captain.

ICC took to social media platform Instagram to share the moment when Babar Azam gifted his bat to Rahmanullah Gurbaz. ICC's post reads, "A gift from Babar Azam. The spirit of cricket alive and well."

Checkout here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ICC (@icc)

Throughout the tournament so far, Gurbaz's consistency and standout performances were instrumental in Afghanistan's campaign. In a prior victory against England, he had showcased his remarkable talent by scoring an impressive 80 runs. Gurbaz maintained his pivotal role in Afghanistan's second win in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, amassing 65 runs from 53 balls against Pakistan, which included 9 fours and 1 six. His aggregate runs in the tournament now stand at 224 from five matches, solidifying his status as a key player in the team's successes.