Lahore: Afghanistan secured a thrilling eight-run victory over England in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Wednesday, thanks to Ibrahim Zadran’s outstanding 177-run knock and Azmatullah Omarzai’s five-wicket haul.
The loss ended England’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals, while Afghanistan kept their chances alive in the tournament.
England struggled early in their chase of 326, losing two quick wickets with just 30 runs on the board. Phil Salt (12) and Jamie Smith (9) fell cheaply, leaving the team in trouble.
Joe Root and Ben Duckett tried to rebuild with a crucial 68-run stand before Rashid Khan dismissed Duckett for 38. Root then formed partnerships with Harry Brook (25) and captain Jos Buttler (38), pushing England past 200 runs.
Omarzai turned the game in Afghanistan’s favor by dismissing Buttler in the 37th over. England continued to fight with Joe Root leading the charge, scoring a magnificent 120 off 111 balls, featuring 12 fours and a six.
However, Omarzai’s brilliance with the ball saw him remove Root in the 46th over, followed by Jamie Overton (32) in the 48th over, sealing Afghanistan’s win.
After opting to bat first, Afghanistan posted an impressive 325/7 in 50 overs. However, their innings started shakily as Jofra Archer’s fiery spell reduced them to 37/3 in 8.5 overs.
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Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi then partnered with Ibrahim Zadran for a crucial 103-run stand before falling for 40 off 67 balls. Ibrahim continued his dominance, stitching an 82-run partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai (41 off 31 balls) before teaming up with Mohammad Nabi for a sensational 111-run stand.
Ibrahim Zadran was Afghanistan’s star performer, scoring a brilliant 177 off 146 balls, including 12 fours and six sixes. Mohammad Nabi chipped in with a quickfire 40 off 24 balls.
For England, Jofra Archer led the bowling attack with three wickets for 64 runs, while Liam Livingstone took two. Adil Rashid and Jamie Overton grabbed one wicket each.
Playing XIs
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
England: Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith(w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
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