Afghanistan's U19 cricket team commenced their ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 journey with a compelling 28-run victory over South Africa U19 in their Group D opener on January 16, 2026, held at the High Performance Oval in Windhoek, Namibia. The highlight of the match, particularly for Indian audiences, was Afghanistan captain Mahboob Khan's exceptional wicketkeeping. Khan executed a lightning-fast dismissal of South African captain Muhammad Bulbulia in the 14th over, which quickly drew comparisons to the legendary Indian captain MS Dhoni's iconic stumping technique. Bulbulia was out stumped for 17 runs after Khan swiftly dislodged the bails, a moment that went viral for its precision and speed, mirroring Dhoni's unique style of collecting the ball and whipping off the bails in one fluid motion. Batting first after being asked to do so, Afghanistan posted a competitive total of 266 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs. This strong total was built on half-centuries from Faisal Khan Shinozada (81) and Khalid Ahmadzai (74), who laid a solid foundation. A crucial unbeaten 51 off 51 balls by Uzairullah Khan Niazi further bolstered the innings, eventually earning him the Player of the Match award for his significant contributions, which also included a superb run-out and two catches in the field. South Africa, in their chase of 267, were bowled out for 238 in 47.4 overs, despite a fighting 98 from Jason Rowles. The victory gives Afghanistan a strong start in the global age-group tournament, which runs until February 6, 2026.