Top 6 achievements of Afghanistan as a cricketing nation

Afghanistan was once known across the globe for all the wrong reasons due to their political conflicts.The associate nation, who had qualified for the 2010 T20 World Cup, have come a long way forward ever since and find their name among the 12 Test playing nations today.

Over time, Afghanistan has become a cricket crazy nation and the players haven't let their fans down. The game of Cricket has found a place in 34 million hearts in the country, and with their team competing against the top teams around the world, is definitely on a steady rise.

They got a lot of financial and technical support from the BCCI, including good training facilities in Noida, where they host home games in addition to the games played in Sharjah. They trained under the likes of Inzamam-ul-Haq, Rashid Latif and Lalchand Rajput.

Star players like Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi are familiar faces in T20 leagues around the globe. On the other hand, Under 19 start like Zahir Khan and Mujeeb Zardran are all set to be a part of this year's IPL. With new players coming through the ranks, the future of this team is surely seems brighter than ever

Their top 6 achievements are as follows :-

#6. Being a part of the World T20, back in 2010

Afghanistan squad, 2010

Their first success was qualifying for the World T20 Championship in the Caribbean, back in 2010. They played their first match of the tournament against India in Gros Islet (St Lucia), though they lost the game by 7 wickets, they won a lot of hearts back home by being a part of a major ICC tournament. They also lost their second game against the Proteas, but it was their first step in international cricket, and the country will never forget it's first World Cup experience.

Apart from the T20 World Cup, they also made it to the 50-over World Cup that took place in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. They got their first World Cup victory against Scotland at Dunedin.

#5. Victory against Bangladesh, Asia Cup, 2014.

The first victory for Afghanistan against a major cricketing nation came at the home of the host at Fatullah, Bangladesh during the 2014 Asia Cup.

At one point, the visitors were going down the barrel at 90/5, losing the likes of Mohammad Shahzad and Nawroz Mangal cheaply. But the stand between Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari made sure they put up a decent score of 254 on the board. Bangladesh fell well short of the target as Shapoor Zardran and Hamid Hasan made some early inroads and the spinners did the rest.

Though Nabi and his boys didn't make it to the final, losing to India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the victory against the hosts boosted their confidence and made them feel that they belong to this level.

#4. Beating Zimbabwe 3-2, at their own backyard

Their first series win against a Test playing nation came under the captaincy of Asghar Stanikzai against Zimbabwe in the year 2015.

Zimbabwe took a 1-0 lead in the five match ODI series, dominating the first game but the team from the sub-continent had other ideas. They won three out of the next four games and went on to win the series 3-2. Mohammed Nabi turned out to be a hero with the bat and Dawlat Zardran had a good series with the ball.

This victory was a special one, not only because it was against a test playing nation, but also because the tracks in Zimbabwe offered a lot to the fast bowlers. Their batsmen adjusted brilliantly to the conditions and made sure they got their first series win against a Test playing nation.

#3. Success of the Afghanistan U-19 team in both Asia Cup and World Cup.

Not only the senior pros but the colts have also contributed in making the nation swell with pride. They won the U-19 Asia Cup, defeating Pakistan by 185 runs. They also beat established teams like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand in the U-19 World Cup.

They stunned the cricketing world and reached the semi-finals of the recently concluded U-19 World Cup, eventually losing to the Aussies. The likes of Zahir Khan and Mujeeb Zadran impressed a lot, and even made it big in the IPL auctions.

#2. Having a nod over the West Indies

Afghanistan always had a nod over the West Indies in both T20s and ODIs. They defeated the Windies by 6 runs on the world stage at 2016 T20 World Championship. It was a low scoring affair, they scored a nominal total of 123, which can be barely considered a defendable score in this day and age, but the spinners had other ideas. The experience of Mohammed Nabi came in handy while the young sensation Rashid Khan proved to be unplayable making some of the biggest hitters from the Caribbean look absolutely clueless against the prowess of his spin.

West Indies went on to win the World Cup from there, but Afghanistan fans will never forget that evening at Nagpur. Not only the Windies, they surprised teams like Sri Lanka, England and South Africa by putting up a valiant effort and giving them a good run for their money.

Not only in the T20 format, they have also beaten the Windies in the 50-over format in their own backyard. Defending 212, the hosts were bowled out for just 149, with Rashid Khan once against spinning a web around the men from Caribbean, ending up giving him 7 wickets.

#1. Entering the test arena

Afghanistan is now a Test playing nation and the country will count it as their biggest achievement till date in the field of sports. They are all set to play their first ever Test match against the current World No.1 India in June this later this June in Bengaluru.

It is going to be a historic day for the country of Afghanistan as they watch their players coming out in the full whites for the first time ever.