Ravichandran Ashwin’s Response to Pakistani Journalist’s Claim
Team India’s star off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, did not hold back as he reacted to a controversial claim made by a Pakistani journalist on social media platform X. Addressing Elon Musk, the owner of X, Ashwin made a special request following an unfounded accusation against the Afghanistan cricket team.
The Controversial Claim
The controversy began when Pakistani journalist Wajahat Kazmi alleged that Afghanistan could defeat any team in the world except India. He suggested that Afghan players avoid beating India due to lucrative Indian Premier League contracts. This baseless claim came after Afghanistan’s significant 21-run victory over Australia in the Super Eight stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Ashwin’s Appeal to Elon Musk
Infuriated by the misleading post, Ashwin took to X to appeal to Elon Musk. “I can’t tell u what to do @elonmusk but I should certainly have the right to decide who enters my house. My timeline my decision,” Ashwin wrote, expressing his frustration and urging Musk to prevent such posts from appearing on his timeline.
Afghanistan’s Historic Victory
Afghanistan achieved a historic first international win over Australia in their sixth white-ball encounter, triumphing by 21 runs in Kingstown. Batting first, Afghanistan posted a competitive 148/6, with significant contributions from openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60 off 49) and Ibrahim Zadran (51 off 48), who put together a solid 118-run partnership off 95 balls.
Australia’s Struggle in the Chase
Australia’s chase faltered early, with Naveen ul Haq (3/20) striking key blows, removing Travis Head (0 off 3) and Mitchell Marsh (12 off 9). Mohammad Nabi then took the crucial wicket of David Warner (3 off 8), leaving Australia reeling at 32/3. Glenn Maxwell made a valiant attempt to repeat his ODI World Cup heroics, scoring 59 off 41 balls, but his dismissal in the 15th over by Gulbadin Naib (4/20) sealed Australia’s fate. The Australians were ultimately bowled out for 127 in 19.2 overs, handing Afghanistan a memorable win.
Do-or-Die Match Against India
This victory placed Afghanistan in a strong position in the T20 World Cup, while putting Australia’s campaign in jeopardy. Their final match against India has now become a do-or-die encounter. Team India, currently unbeaten in the tournament, has registered convincing wins over Afghanistan and Bangladesh in their two Super Eight matches, adding more excitement to the upcoming clash.(cricket betting sites)