5 best matches in the first half of the 2023 ODI World Cup ft. Pakistan-Afghanistan 

The ongoing ICC men's ODI World Cup 2023 has been a huge success so far, with record-breaking viewership and mouth-watering encounters. With a daily doze of cricket featuring the top ten best teams in the world, the tournament has been nothing less than a dreamland for a 50-over lover.

The ongoing competition, which commenced on October 5, has seen 23 matches take place in 20 days thus far. For the aficionados, the first half of the tournament has already passed by in no time.

However, the tournament is still wide open, with the stakes in the upcoming games being as high as ever. Teams including India, South Africa, and New Zealand have been flying high so far and comfortably sitting in the first three spots of the points table.

Although the 2023 ODI World Cup has yet to see a match go till the last over, there have been some thrillers with exciting chases, surprising results, and high-scoring run-fests.

On that note, let's relive the five best of the 2023 ODI World Cup matches played thus far.

Note: Only games from Match 1 (NZ vs ENG) to Match 23 (SA vs BAN) in ODI World Cup 2023 have been taken into consideration.

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#5 India beat New Zealand by 4 wickets in Dharamsala (Match 21)

Virat Kohli acknowledging crowd support [Getty Images]

It was a battle of two dominant teams when Team India went up against New Zealand in Match 21 of the competition at the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.

The highly anticipated encounter lived up to its billing, as neither team proved to be the favorites to win the game throughout.

India started the match on a high note, sending back both Devon Conway (0) and Will Young (17) inside the powerplay. However, a 159-run partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra then frustrated the Indian bowling unit.

While Ravindra made 75, Mitchell notched up a superb century. It was his efforts (130 runs off 127) that helped New Zealand pile up 273 runs on the board. Playing his first game of the tournament, Mohammed Shami took a brilliant fifer (5/54) for India.

Chasing 275 under some chilly conditions, Indian openers Rohit Sharma (46) and Shubman Gill (26) enjoyed a brilliant start. The two dealt mostly in boundaries and added 71 runs in just 11 overs.

However, New Zealand made a great comeback in the game by taking crucial wickets on a timely basis. From 71/0, India were 191/5, with the last two recognized batters, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, left on the crease.

They batted maturely and took the game deep. They ensured India didn't endure any more hiccups and stitched up a 78-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Kohli, in particular, dished out another masterful inning during a run-chase. He agonizingly missed out on a well-deserved hundred and was caught on the boundary after a magnificent knock of 95.

Jadeja, meanwhile, finished the game off by pulling one for a four as India registered their first-ever ODI World Cup win against New Zealand in 20 years.

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#4 Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in Hyderabad (Match 8)

Mohammad Rizwan for Pakistan [Getty Images]

In a record-breaking match that saw as many as four different centurions, Pakistan emerged victorious against Asian rivals Sri Lanka in Match 8 in Hyderabad.

It was a tough outing for Sri Lanka, who were let down by their bowlers, who conceded the highest-ever run-chase in ODI World Cup history.

Batting first, Sri Lanka lost their opener, Kusal Perera, for a duck. This led Mendis to enter the crease within the first two overs. Alongside Pathum Nissanka (51), Mendis steadied the ship for Sri Lanka and added 102 runs for the second wicket.

As soon as Mendis reached fifty, he began his onslaught on the Pakistani bowlers. Showcasing his wide range of shots, Mendis raced from 50 off 40 to 100 off 65 balls.

After his dismissal for 122, it was Sadeera Samarawickrama who kept the innings going and eventually made 108 runs in 89 balls.

This led Sri Lanka to post a huge first-innings total of 344/9 on the board. In what should've been an extremely tough ask, Pakistan chased down the target with six wickets and ten balls to spare.

At 37/2, Pakistan were under extreme pressure when Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan took charge. Both added 176 runs for the fourth wicket and dragged Pakistan closer to the target.

Hammering a toothless Sri Lankan bowling attack, both Rizwan (131*) and Shafique (113) completed their centuries before Iftikhar Ahmed's late cameo of 22* off 10 balls sealed the deal for Pakistan in 48.2 overs.

Rizwan, who seemingly suffered from cramps during his stay, played one of his best ODI innings and remained unbeaten for 131 in 121 balls.

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#3 Afghanistan beat England by 69 runs in Delhi (Match 13)

England v Afghanistan - ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023

On June 18, 2019, in Manchester, England streamrolled past Afghanistan and beat them by a margin of 150 runs.

However, four years later, England found themselves at the receiving end as they suffered a setback against the same opposition in the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup.

The surface in Delhi provided help for the batters in the previous games, but there was some help for the slower bowlers in the clash between England and Afghanistan. That's where the spin bowling unit of the Afghans thrived and wreaked havoc in the second inning.

The duo of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan took three wickets each as Afghanistan regularly made inroads into the English batting.

Chasing 285, only Harry Brook (66) got used to the pace of the pitch, while the other English batters had no idea how to tackle the Afghan bowlers.

Earlier, Rahmanullah Gurbaz's blazing 57-ball 80 set up what proved to be a brilliant first-innings total of 284 for his side. Ikram Alikhil, who was playing his first game of the tournament, also chipped in with a crucial 58.

It was indeed a momentous occasion for the Afghans, as their triumph over England was only their second-ever win in the quadrennial competition.

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#2 Afghanistan beat Pakistan by 8 wickets in Chennai (Match 22)

Afghanistan recorded a scintillating win vs Pakistan [Getty Images]

At the post-match ceremony after Afghanistan's win over England, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi uttered that "it is our first win, but not the last one". The high-spirited unit certainly fulfilled their claim as they recorded another historic win, this time against rival Pakistan.

Coming into their fifth game of the tournament, Afghanistan had not beaten Pakistan in an ODI in seven attempts.

They had run them close on at least two occasions but had to suffer heartbreak. But on the biggest stage of them all, Afghanistan finally managed to break the hoodoo.

Batting first, Pakistan reached a par first-innings total of 282/7 in their 50 overs. Fifties from Abdullah Shafique (58) and Babar Azam (74) set up a perfect platform before quick-fire 40s from Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed finished the innings strongly.

Afghanistan's pursuit may have been exceedingly difficult, as they had never previously chased a target of more than 280 in ODIs.

However, the Afghani batters carved out the chase in the most meticulous manner against the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, and Shadab Khan.

A 130-run opening stand between Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) and Ibrahim Zadran (87) provided the perfect start for Afghanistan before Rahmat Shah's mature knock of 77* made sure that Pakistan didn't find a way to make a comeback in the game.

The Pakistani bowlers left a lot to be desired as Afghanistan completed their highest-ever run chase with eight wickets and six balls to spare.

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#1 Netherlands beat South Africa by 38 runs in Dharamsala (Match 15)

Dutch players celebrating David Miller's wicket [Getty Images]

Despite Afghanistan's unprecedented wins, the most shocking result of the 2023 ODI World Cup so far has been the Netherlands' rout over South Africa in Match 15 in Dharamsala.

Despite the Protea having one of the most fearsome batting attacks in the competition, the Dutch shot for the stars and handed their team a historic win.

After the match was reduced to 43 overs per side, the Netherlands were put to bat first. Their inning was largely built on the back of a superlative knock by Scott Edwards.

The Dutch skipper made an unbeaten 78 off 69 balls. Smashing ten boundaries and a six during his innings, the wicketkeeper batter took his side from 112/6 to 245/8.

Tailend batters including Roelof van der Merwe (29 off 19) and Aryan Dutt (23* off 9) also chipped in with crucial cameos.

Defending 246 runs in the second inning, the Dutch side needed something special to derail the Proteas' batting unit. The 'never say die' attitude of the Dutch came to the fore as the team scripted a remarkable result.

The South African innings never got going as they kept losing wickets in a cluster. It all started when Colin Ackermann dismissed in-form Quinton de Kock for 20. From 36/0, South Africa lost their first six wickets in a span of just 73 more runs.

David Miller (43) tried his best to take the game to the opposition. However, his dismissal sealed the game for the Netherlands, who bundled out South Africa for 207 in 42.5 overs.