NEW DELHI: Rashid Khan consistently emphasized the importance of his teammates having confidence in their skills rather than worrying about the strengths of the opposition. This approach paid off during Afghanistan's remarkable 84-run triumph over New Zealand in a T20 World Cup group stage match.
Afghanistan successfully defended their total of 159 by bowling out New Zealand for just 75 runs, with left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqui and Rashid himself leading the charge with four wickets each.
"Now, we need to beat the teams in our own skills rather than think about the opposition much and that's the only thing I have been telling the guys like just make sure we look into our skills," Rashid said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
For the skipper, the effort matters more than the results, as he believes that if a team is good enough, results take care of themselves.
"It doesn't matter whoever we play the opposition it's more about how good you are how good you're going to play and what type of energy you coming with into the ground and that for me is very important. I don't much care about the result a lot to be honest. I more care about the effort we put it's a batting, bowling fielding, that's something which gives me lots of pleasure."
"It's fine with as long you give hundred percent and you happy with your efforts at the end of the day."
In last year's ODI World Cup, Afghanistan astounded cricket fans by defeating powerhouse teams like England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Similarly, in the 2016 T20 World Cup, they secured a memorable victory against eventual champions West Indies.
"We haven't had those victories in T20 World Cups. We had in ODI, but in T20 I feel like this was one of the best performances from the guys," said the skipper who starred in his masterful bowling act of 4/17.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz's explosive innings of 80 runs from 56 deliveries, coupled with Ibrahim Zadran's solid 44 from 41 balls, provided Afghanistan with a blistering start.
In response, left-arm seamer Farooqi, who had claimed five wickets against Uganda earlier, replicated his stellar performance by snatching 4/17 from just 3.2 overs, matching his skipper's impressive bowling figures.
"It's not just about a single guy you know winning the game it's a great team effort the way Gurbaz and Ibrahim started the innings."
For Afghans, cricket is not just a sport but also a significant source of joy. Rashid expressed gratitude towards the fans, who remain dedicated regardless of the time differences, eagerly supporting the national team during live broadcasts.
"They don't miss our games. We play at 3 AM, 4 AM or 1 AM, they're always up. Not only in Afghanistan, all around the world, wherever they are, they're going to watch the game. They don't miss the game. That's the kind of beauty we have back home in Afghanistan in the people, they give us the kind of support and love which does motivate us inside the ground."
"Cricket is a biggest source of happiness back home. And I'm very sure this will give them so much to enjoy, to celebrate this victory."
(Inputs from PTI)
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