• Naveen-ul-Haq has secured his place in the 15-member Afghanistan squad for the ODI World Cup 2023.

  • India and Afghanistan will face each other in the quadrennial event on October 11.

“It’s going to be Naveen Ul Haq vs Virat Kohli Round 2”: Fans anticipate epic faceoff after Afghanistan pacer’s inclusion in the ODI World Cup 2023 squad
Fans eager for epic Virat vs Naveen face-off in ODI World Cup 2023 (Image Source: Twitter)

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have officially unveiled its 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023, which is set to be hosted in India during the months of October and November. At the helm of the squad is Hashmatullah Shahidi, who will serve as the team’s captain.

Star-studded roster and one notable-comeback

The roster features some of Afghanistan’s brightest cricketing talents, including star players like Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi. Notably, there is a significant return to the team for pacer Naveen-ul-Haq, who missed out on selection for the Asia Cup 2023 but has earned a spot in the World Cup squad.

Anticipating the clash: Virat Kohli vs. Naveen-ul-Haq

However, fans on social media are buzzing with excitement as they eagerly await a potential, thrilling showdown between Afghanistan’s Naveen and India’s Virat Kohli. This epic clash is set to take place on October 11 during the upcoming World Cup, with the game slated for the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

Also READ: Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma shares insights on playing high-pressure matches ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023

IPL 2023 altercation sets stage for World Cup face-off

For those not in the know, Virat and Naveen were embroiled in a fiery altercation back in May during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 encounter between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). This match also saw Kohli exchanging heated words with Gautam Gambhir, intensifying the anticipation surrounding this impending face-off in the upcoming World Cup.

Excitement mounts for Kohli and Naveen duel

With the prospect of Virat and Naveen crossing paths for the first time since their IPL 2023 clash, cricket fans have expressed their excitement and anticipation on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

Here are the reactions: 

Asia Cup 2023 and both teams journey 

Afghanistan faced an unfortunate exit from the group stage of Asia Cup 2023, narrowly losing to Sri Lanka. In response to this, they made some strategic changes by excluding Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Suliman Safi from their final 15-man squad.

On the contrary, Team India is on a triumphant journey, securing their spot in the continental tournament’s finals after resounding victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Virat played a pivotal role in India’s triumph over arch-rivals Pakistan, delivering a remarkable performance where he scored 122 runs in just 94 balls.

Also READ: ODI World Cup 2023: England’s star Joe Root issues a strong warning to rivals regarding Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

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CATEGORY: Naveen-ul-Haq ODI World Cup Twitter Reactions Virat Kohli

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AMAR PAL SINGH BHALLA
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