NEW DELHI — For 30-year-old Haseeb Siddiqui, two moments stand out as the happiest of his life. One was when his daughter was born, the other was when his home country, Afghanistan, triumphed over Pakistan in the recently concluded 2023 Cricket World Cup.

Although Afghanistan had beaten other world champions in the past, the win over archrival and neighbor Pakistan was particularly special. Afghans living around the world, including those in India like Siddiqui, celebrated on the streets and on social media.

Afghanistan finished the tournament in sixth place. This was a huge achievement for a team that only became a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2017. Bangladesh, which became a full member in 2000, 17 years earlier, finished two spots behind Afghanistan. The inventors of the game, England, also finished behind the war-torn country. The Afghan team’s performance was even more surprising, given that in the previous World Cup, in 2019, they failed to secure even one win.

Siddiqui was so happy after the victory over Pakistan that he could not sleep the whole night. He kept smiling without reason. “I had to explain to many people that I was not going crazy, but just happy over my team’s performance. It was pure joy,” said Siddiqui, surrounded by his four children in their small two-room apartment in New Delhi.

Siddiqui came to India six years ago in pursuit of a better life and found a job as a model and actor. But he is hardly at the top of the profession: He latches onto any work he can get, sometimes working in south Indian movies whose dialogue he does not understand.

Haseeb Siddiqui spots himself in the crowd in a video of Afghanistan’s match against England during the recent Cricket World Cup tournament. (Photo by Shefali Rafiq)

“Work is not constant, but thank God, I am able to feed my family and pay my bills,” he said, adding that despite the difficulties, life is much better in India than in Afghanistan, which he fled because of the war. The fighting officially ended in August 2021, but he does not yet feel it is safe to go back to the country, which is now under Taliban rule.

His dreams are to seek better education for his children, secure a better apartment to live in and eventually reunite with his parents and siblings in Afghanistan.

In a life full of challenges, the recent Cricket World Cup gave him unthinkable joy. “I continue to watch highlights of matches on my phone; my worries and problems have taken a back seat for now,” Siddiqui said.

Afghanistan’s performance at the World Cup was lauded by many, including former cricketing greats, but for Afghans, it was more: a brief respite from the turbulent times they continue to face. For decades the country has seen violence and mayhem, with thousands killed and thousands more forced to move abroad for their safety or a better standard of living.

Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan in action during a match against Pakistan in the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India: Khan picked up cricket during his time in a refugee camp in Pakistan.   © Reuters

Cricket is the most popular sport in the country. In fact, many Afghan national team players, including star all-rounder Rashid Khan, are former refugees who learned the game growing up in camps in Pakistan. For refugees still living outside their home country, the strong performance of such players at the World Cup is a beacon of hope they can relate to. “I want my son to grow up and become what I couldn’t,” Siddiqui said, watching a video of the national team’s game.

“It was a moment of pride and a great feeling to see your national flag and then the anthem being played at the international stage,” said Masih Sadat, 31, who lives in the United Arab Emirates.

Sadat left Afghanistan in 2021 with his family after the Taliban seized power following the exit of U.S.-led forces. “My sister couldn’t continue her studies and my mother, who is a teacher, couldn’t teach after the Taliban banned women’s education. Also, the security situation wasn’t great,” he said.

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Afghan refugees now number 2.6 million, one of the largest such populations in the world. While most settle in neighboring Pakistan or Iran, countries like India and the United Arab Emirates are also destinations of choice as they offer better standards in terms of education, medical health care and lifestyle than elsewhere.

Food stalls run by Afghan refugees in New Delhi: India hosts the second-largest Afghan refugee community on the Indian subcontinent. (Photo by Shefali Rafiq)

With some 12,000 registered refugees, India now hosts the second-largest Afghan refugee community on the subcontinent, after Pakistan, said Mohammad Qais Malikzada, head of the Afghan Solidarity Committee in India, a nongovernmental organization working for the welfare of Afghan refugees.

While it is almost impossible for Afghans to obtain visas to live in Western countries, the application process for India is smooth, Malikzada said, adding that the historical and cultural ties between the two countries are strong.

During this Cricket World Cup season, India was a dream place for many refugees. Some, like Siddiqui, were lucky enough to watch the matches live.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India played an important role in the success of the Afghan team. In the run-up to the World Cup, the organization arranged for Indian cricketers to coach the Afghan national team and provided a stadium in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh to be their “home ground” in friendly, or exhibition, matches.

Mohammad Naser Yahya, an Afghan social activist in India, said the Cricket World Cup became a significant topic of interest among the Afghan refugee community. “There is a shared sentiment of finding solace and distraction,” he said.

​​​​​​People watch a cricket match at a restaurant run by an Afghan refugee. During the World Cup, Afghan hangouts became hot spots for fans. (Photo by Shefali Rafiq)

Afghan hangouts, such as restaurants where fellow refugees work, have become hubs of cricket talk.

Even children who once preferred soccer or other sports now dream of mimicking their cricketing idols. “I want to bowl fast like Shoaib Akhtar,” said 15-year-old Yousuf, referring to the former Pakistan cricketer who is considered the fastest bowler in cricket history. “When I join the [Afghan] team, we will become invincible,” he said at a park in the Bhogal locality where many Afghans reside.

While a majority of Afghan refugees found moments of joy and pride in the sport, some have watched with mixed feelings.

Ehsan, who preferred not to give his full name, is a Hazara, one of Afghanistan’s ethnic minorities, living in India. Hazaras have often faced violence at the hands of extremist groups like ISIS and Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They have a deep sense of persecution.

“The brilliant performance [of the national cricket team] undoubtedly is a matter of pride, but one would have wanted a Hazara player in the team,” Ehsan said, referring to the fact that all team members were Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.

Afghan nationals of the Hazara minority in New Delhi protest a suicide attack at a tutoring center in western Kabul in September.    © Reuters

Reza, another Hazara living in India, started following cricket after the national team defeated Pakistan. The 32-year-old barely knew anything about the sport, but cheered for the team through the World Cup with his family.

His daughter aspires to play cricket for her country one day.

However, the Taliban regime bans women from playing sports. Hundreds of female athletes, including those who were on the national cricket team, have fled the country for their safety and to continue training, according to Human Rights Watch.

The International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over Taliban restrictions on athletes, and has called on Afghanistan’s Olympic committee to address the situation, as the policy violates the Olympic value of nondiscrimination.

It remains to be seen if Reza’s daughter, a woman from an ethnic minority, can ever be part of a national team and play international cricket. But her family remains hopeful that her dream will be fulfilled one day.