In the 8th match of Champions Trophy 2025 Group B, Afghanistan made history by knocking England out of the tournament defeating them by 8 runs and defending 325 runs held at Lahore. Ibrahim Zadran became the architect of the victory with his swashbuckling knock of 177 runs in 146 balls which resulted in awarding him the player of the match for the same. Azmatullah Omarzai took a brilliant 5-wicket haul and contributed 41 runs off 31 balls giving an outstanding all-round performance for the team.
AFG vs ENG: Batters setback in powerplay for Afghanistan
In the first powerplay, Afghanistan was already 3 down with a mere 39 runs on the board, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, and Rahmat Shah were dismissed early during that phase.
Ibrahim Zadran kept his cool in a pressure situation like this, especially in a decider match of the Champions Trophy with a stake of getting knocked out. Zadran alone made 177 runs for team building a great total for England.
Ibrahim Zadran’s match-winning knock
Zadran made the highest-ever individual ODI score for Afghanistan surpassing his own record of 162 after making 177 runs. By 37.2 overs Afghanistan had 200 runs on the board already and between the 40th and 50th overs, the Afghan batters managed to smash 113 runs at an expense of 2 wickets.
Hashmatullah Shahidi, Omarzai, and Nabi altogether contributed 121 crucial runs for the team summing up this total to 325.
| Batting | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rahmanullah Gurbaz † | b Archer | 6 | 15 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 | ||
Ibrahim Zadran | c Archer b Livingstone | 177 | 146 | 226 | 12 | 6 | 121.23 | ||
Sediqullah Atal | lbw b Archer | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | ||
Rahmat Shah | c Rashid b Archer | 4 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 44.44 | ||
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c) | b Rashid | 40 | 67 | 76 | 3 | 0 | 59.70 | ||
Azmatullah Omarzai | c sub (T Banton) b Overton | 41 | 31 | 51 | 1 | 3 | 132.25 | ||
Mohammad Nabi | c Root b Livingstone | 40 | 24 | 49 | 2 | 3 | 166.66 | ||
Gulbadin Naib | not out | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 | ||
Rashid Khan | not out | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | ||
| Extras | (lb 4, w 7) | 11 | |||||||
| Total | 50 Ov (RR: 6.50) | 325/7 | |||||||
A Dramatic Turnaround
In a dramatic upset, Afghanistan beat England, rendering Joe Root’s heroic century useless. The game, which seemed to be going in England’s direction, took a dramatic turn after Root’s departure.
Root’s Heroic Performance: A Century in Defeat
| Batting | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phil Salt | b Azmatullah Omarzai | 12 | 13 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 92.30 | ||
Ben Duckett | lbw b Rashid Khan | 38 | 45 | 78 | 4 | 0 | 84.44 | ||
Jamie Smith † | c Azmatullah Omarzai b Mohammad Nabi | 9 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 69.23 | ||
Joe Root | c †Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Azmatullah Omarzai | 120 | 111 | 177 | 11 | 1 | 108.10 | ||
Harry Brook | c & b Mohammad Nabi | 25 | 21 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 119.04 | ||
Jos Buttler (c) | c Rahmat Shah b Azmatullah Omarzai | 38 | 42 | 62 | 0 | 2 | 90.47 | ||
Liam Livingstone | c †Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Gulbadin Naib | 10 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 125.00 | ||
Jamie Overton | c Mohammad Nabi b Azmatullah Omarzai | 32 | 28 | 47 | 3 | 0 | 114.28 | ||
Jofra Archer | c Mohammad Nabi b Fazalhaq Farooqi | 14 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 175.00 | ||
Adil Rashid | c Ibrahim Zadran b Azmatullah Omarzai | 5 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 71.42 | ||
Mark Wood | not out | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 | ||
| Extras | (b 4, lb 3, w 5) | 12 | |||||||
| Total | 49.5 Ov (RR: 6.36) | 317 | |||||||
Individual Performance: Joe Root played a magnificent innings, scoring 120 runs while pursuing a tough target. His century, which he obtained in 98 balls, was his 5th in ICC tournaments and his 17th in ODI cricket.
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Effect on the Game: During the time that Root was batting, England appeared destined to win. His fall, however, became the turning point, initiating a collapse in the English batting order.
The Turning Point: England’s Collapse and Root’s Dismissal
Turning Point: The critical dismissal of Joe Root by Azmatullah Omarzai, caught by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, totally shifted the momentum of the game.
Follow-Up Fall: England’s other batsmen crumbled after Root’s fall. Jamie Overton, the last bastion, got out while trying to play a big shot, ensuring England’s loss.
Effect on England’s Campaign: This crushing defeat severely compromises England’s prospects of going to the semi-finals.
Afghanistan’s Bowling Masterclass: A Showcase of Skill and Perseverance
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Azmatullah Omarzai’s Dominance: Azmatullah Omarzai was the star of the show, taking 5 pivotal wickets. His timely removals stalled England’s momentum at pivotal moments.
A collective team effort by Afghanistan
Mohammad Nabi chipped in with 2 wickets, making important breakthroughs in the early stages of the innings, although he was costly.
Rashid Khan and Gulbadin Naib each took a wicket, adding to Afghanistan’s bowling triumph.
ALSO READ: ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table: Key Updates After AUS vs SA Washout
