Following England’s unexpected 2023 World Cup loss to Afghanistan, famous Indian opener Virender Sehwag made light of former England captain Michael Vaughan in a lighthearted social media interaction.

After England faced their second defeat in the ODI World Cup in India, Vaughan took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to make a bold claim, stating,

“England in the World Cup semis.”

Vaughan’s statement gained significant attention on the microblogging site.

Sehwag, known for his wit, responded to Vaughan’s post with a reminder of England’s performance in previous 50-over World Cup editions. He playfully pointed out that England had only made it to the World Cup semifinals once in eight attempts, with a string of unsuccessful campaigns from 1996 to 2023.

The banter unfolded after Afghanistan’s remarkable performance, where they overcame the defending champions, England, in a historic victory. Playing at Arun Jaitley Stadium in match No.13 of the ICC World Cup, Afghanistan posted a formidable total of 284 in 49.5 overs.

In response, England’s batting lineup folded for 215 in 40.3 overs, marking their first-ever loss to Afghanistan in the 50-over format of the World Cup. This loss also signifies a historic moment in World Cup history, as England conceded eight wickets to spinners for the first time. Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan teamed up to claim six of those wickets. Rahman, in particular, proved instrumental by dismissing crucial players including Joe Root, Harry Brook and Chris Woakes, earning him the well-deserved Player of the Match title for his stellar performance.