AFG vs SL, ODI World Cup 2023: Afghanistan continued their dream run in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 as they picked up a dominant win over Sri Lanka in match 30 at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Monday.
Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi gave all the credit to the confidence his team got after defeating Pakistan a few days ago to pull off yet another remarkable achievement.
Afghanistan successfully chased down the target of 242 runs by seven wickets to claim their first World Cup win over the Islanders, winning their third match of the tournament.
"Pakistan chase gave us a lot of confidence and belief that we can chase any kind of target. We started really well in bowling (against SL) and the chase was very professional and I am very happy about it," Shahidi said at the post-match presentation.
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Notably, Afghanistan had stunned Pakistan as they chased down the target of 282 runs, losing just two wickets, gaining monumental spectacular confidence heading forward in the tournament.
The Afghan skipper also mentioned the role of coach Jonathan Trott and credited him heavily for changing the team's mindset.
"Coaches are always positive. We worked very hard before the World Cup. Right now, all the coaching and management staff are working hard and giving us confidence.
"Before the Pakistan game, coach's (Trott) words changed my and the team's mindset a lot," he added.
Shahidi (58) himself was one of the key contributors as he scored an unbeaten half-century and stitched a 111-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Azmatullah Omarzai (73*) to take his team to victory.
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With their third win of the tournament, Afghanistan moved up to the fifth position in the points table with six points under their belt as they aim to make it to the top four for the first time in their history.
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They will be up against the Netherlands in their next match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday, November 3.