Afghanistan’s star cricketer Rashid Khan shared a heartfelt message after his team’s heartbreaking loss against Sri Lanka in a closely contested match during the tournament’s group stage fixture. The 24-year-old’s team was frustrated as they were bowled out in the game against Sri Lanka, ending their campaign in the 2023 Asia Cup.
Sri Lanka secured their spot in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup 2023 after a thrilling match against Afghanistan that they won by just two runs after the nail-biting encounter on September 5. Afghanistan fought hard against Dasun Shanaka’s team but fell short dramatically at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
“In sport, there are many ups and downs. You learn, grow and come back stronger. Thank you for always supporting us,” Rashid Khan posted on X.
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In sport there are many ups and downs. You learn, grow and come back stronger.
Thank you for always supporting us 🙌#AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/6hF7zzyxf7— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) September 6, 2023
The Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan has been one of the best players in the world and has once again proved his worth in International cricket, with the ability to contribute to the team’s success with both bat and ball as he was one of the star performers in a game against Sri Lanka picking up two crucial wickets and scoring vital 27 runs off 16 balls.
Afghanistan required three runs off one delivery to secure a place in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup. However, Mujeeb attempted a big shot towards long on and was caught out. Even though a six in the next couple of deliveries would have been enough to secure their place it seems the players in the middle were not aware of it as the team was bowled out two runs short of the total.
Jonathan Trott, the coach of the Afghanistan team, later confirmed that his team didn’t fully understand the score calculations required to qualify for the next stage of the tournament. This lack of understanding was apparent even after the team failed to reach the target score of 292 runs against Sri Lanka within 37.1 overs.
Afghanistan’s support staff, including their analyst, received criticism from fans after the team missed out to make it to the Super Fours of the 2023 Asia Cup. This was due to a misunderstanding of the qualification scenario during a thrilling chase against Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan will be a team to watch out for the upcoming edition of the ODI World Cup 2023, as they have more experience playing in Subcontinental conditions over the years and they will look to put this loss behind them and prepare well for the marquee event in India.