ODI World Cup 2023 Twitter Reactions

'Dil Dil South Africa' - Fans react as South Africa win by 5 wickets and knock Afghanistan out of ODI World Cup 2023

Cricket News: South Africa defeated Afghanistan by 5 wickets. With the loss, Afghanistan bid adieu to the ODI World Cup 2023 with a commendable performance.

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Sarah Andrew
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South Africa (Source: Twitter)

South Africa won their last group-stage match of the tournament. In their final encounter, they faced a stiff challenge from Afghanistan. But they overcame it towards the end and sealed the match with 5 wickets and 15 balls to spare. Despite facing a mini-collapse, the Proteas were able to chase down the target with ease by the end. In the process, Afghanistan was knocked out of the tournament. 

Opting to bat first, Afghanistan had a decent start to their innings. the opening pair scored 41 runs. But soon, both the batters were dismissed in quick time. What followed was the collapse of Afghanistan. From 41/0 at one stage, Afghanistan was reduced to 116/6 after 17.4 overs. It seemed like the Proteas were about to run away with the game. But it was not to be. 

Azamatullah Omarzai waged a lone war for Afghanistan. The middle-order batter was impressive with his gameplay. In the tough period, Omarzai played out the spin of Keshav Maharaj. Later on, he took on the pacers and hit some fabulous boundaries. The right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 97*(107), which included 7 fours and 3 sixes. But Omarzai could not complete his hundred. 

Rassie Van Der Dussen take South Africa home

The knock of Omarzai helped Afghanistan to score 244 runs. Chasing the target, the Proteas had a good start. In the first 10.5 overs, South Africa scored 64 runs without a loss of wicket. That was when Mujeeb stuck and opened the floodgates. From there, South Africa collapsed to 182/5. Despite wickets falling from the other end, Rassie Van Der Dussen held his nerves. 

Andile Phehlukwayo helped Van der Dussen towards the end. But it was the latter that took the onus on himself to ensure no further collapse. The right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 76*(95) and saw his team home. Phehlukwayo at the other end scored an unbeaten 39*(37) that included a four and 3 sixes. With the win, they ended up with 7 wins in their group stage. 

Here's how the fans reacted to South Africa's win - 

Featured South Africa Afghanistan