Despite being viewed as underdogs, the Afghans have showed their worth in this competition by defeating incumbent World Champions England and then dominating Pakistan.
A lot has happened in Afghanistan cricket over the previous two decades, and they have taken advantage of every chance.
What is the significance of this story?
Afghanistan has grown tremendously as a unit, particularly in limited overs. They only gained ODI status in 2009, but they have come a long way since then.
They are a true force to be reckoned with in T20 cricket, and with such results, they have now carved out their own niche in ODIs.
Their meteoric rise in cricket is nothing short of legendary.
Cricket in refugee camps during the early 2000s
Cricket was popularized in the United Kingdom by the British in the nineteenth century.
As a result, children in the refugee camps outside Peshawar played a lot of cricket.
They returned to their homeland in the early 2000s, bringing cricket with them, and thus began a famous story.
Their cricket board and national team were established in 1995 and 2001, respectively.
In 2006, affiliate status and the Asian Cricket Council Trophy were awarded.
In 2001, the Afghanistan Cricket Board was given affiliate status.
They were later granted associate membership in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 2003.
They competed in the 2006 Asian Cricket Council Trophy and advanced to the semi-finals, which sparked interest among Afghans.
Afghanistan lost to Hong Kong in the semi-finals but defeated Nepal in the third-place playoff.
Afghanistan won the ACC T20 Cup in 2007.
Afghanistan won their first trophy in 2007, when they were named joint winners of the first ACC T20 Cup after the final finished in a tie with Oman.
Afghanistan won the ICC World Cricket League Division Five, defeating Jersey in the final, in a historic year for the country’s cricket.
They were unbeaten in Division Four and took first place in Division Three.
Afghanistan was granted ODI status in 2009.
Afghanistan performed well in the ICC World Cricket League, which helped them qualify for the ICC World Cup in 2011.
Afghanistan, led by Nawroz Mangal, performed admirably in South Africa, reaching the Super Eight stage before falling to Canada.
Their performance in the qualifiers helped them gain ODI status in April 2009.
In 2010, they made their first participation in the T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan won the ICC World T20 Qualifier 2010 in Dubai, defeating Ireland in the finals to secure a place in the T20 World Cup.
For the first time in their cricketing careers, they faced up against the big guys. They had little success, finishing the tournament with two losses against India and South Africa.
They went on to win the ICC Intercontinental Cup.
Associate membership and the first ODI against a full member
Afghanistan’s first ODI match against a full member, Pakistan, in Sharjah in February 2012, was a watershed moment in the country’s cricket history.
Afghanistan lost by seven wickets, but the day was much more meaningful than the outcome.
Afghanistan was admitted as an Associate member of the ICC in 2013.
First appearances in the 2015 ODI World Cup
After winning the ICC World Cricket League Championship in Sharjah, Afghanistan qualified for the 2015 ODI World Cup. They overcame Kenya in the finals, ensuring their participation in the world’s biggest cricket event.
Afghanistan, led by Mohammad Nabi, lost five games in the group stage but made history when they overcame Scotland in their first ODI World Cup encounter.