"Ifti Chachu Zindabad" - Fans react to Iftikhar Ahmed impactful cameo in PAK vs AFG 2023 World Cup tie

Pakistan's middle-order batter, Iftikhar Ahmed, delivered an explosive cameo during the team's 2023 World Cup match against Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday.

Iftikhar walked out to bat at No. 7 when the Men in Green were 206/5 in 41.5 overs. The swashbuckling batters dazzled viewers with a quick-fire cameo, scoring 40 runs off just 27 balls.

He struck four sixes and two fours during his entertaining knock. Iftikhar formed a crucial 76-run partnership with Shadab Khan for the sixth wicket to help Pakistan finish well.

Several took to social media, lauding Iftikhar for his batting exploits in the World Cup fixture.

Iftikhar Ahmed and Shabad Khan's partnership was instrumental in Pakistan registering a competitive 282-run total. Skipper Babar Azam was the top performer for the side, with a useful 74-run knock.

For Afghanistan, Noor Ahmad was the pick of the bowlers, bagging three scalps. Naveen-ul-Haq took two wickets, while Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai finished with one wicket each.

Pakistan are currently placed fifth on the 2023 World Cup points table

The ongoing encounter against Afghanistan is of utmost importance for Pakistan as they look to get their World Cup campaign back on track.

Babar Azam and Co. started impressively by trumping the Netherlands and Sri Lanka in their first two fixtures.

However, they failed to put up a fight in their match against arch-rivals India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Pakistan were bundled out for just 171, ultimately suffering a heartbreaking seven-wicket defeat.

To make matters worse, they also failed to get going in the subsequent clash against Australia at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Chasing an imposing 368-run target, they were bowled out for 305 in 45.3 overs.

With two wins and as many losses to their name after their first four fixtures, Pakistan are currently placed fifth in the 2023 points table. They have a net run rate of -0.456 at this juncture.

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Aditya writes news, features, listicles, and exclusive pieces at Sportskeeda as a cricket journalist. After completing his MBA in Sports Management from Symbiosis, he started his professional journey and has a total work experience of 4 years, which included a stint at Republic World. Impressively, he has also done exclusive on-site coverage of two T20 World Cups (2021, 2022), the 2023 ODI World Cup, and 5 editions of IPL, and boasts a total readership of close to 13 million at Sportskeeda. He has also played cricket professionally at the AIU Zonal level for Ahmedabad district.

Aditya admires Virat Kohli’s exemplary discipline, dedication, and hard work. Kohli’s ‘Shot of the Century’ against Haris Rauf is a moment that left a lasting impact on him, ultimately teaching him a valuable life lesson that self-belief will always bear fruit. His favorite teams are the Indian Cricket Team and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Aditya believes in sourcing information only from trusted sources rather than any random social media posts on the story and being neutral and honest are his reporting strengths. When not writing, he enjoys playing snooker and pickleball with his friends, and he is also a self-proclaimed coffee aficionado.

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