Afghanistan defeated England by eight runs in a thrilling Champions Trophy match, eliminating them from the tournament. Ibrahim Zadran scored an impressive 177, leading Afghanistan to 325-7. Azmatullah Omarzai took five wickets, crucially restricting England to 317 in 49.5 overs. Joe Root’s 120 was not enough as England lost regular wickets, marking their second consecutive ODI defeat to Afghanistan. Despite calls for boycott against Afghanistan, the team managed a strong performance. Zadran’s innings set a tournament record, and Omarzai’s bowling proved pivotal in maintaining Afghanistan’s hopes for a semi-final spot.
Opener Ibrahim Zadran’s impressive score of 177, along with five wickets from Azmatullah Omarzai, led Afghanistan to an exhilarating eight-run victory over England on Wednesday, eliminating them from the Champions Trophy. Afghanistan set a target of 325-7 in this must-win match in Lahore, successfully bowling out England for 317 in 49.5 overs. This victory keeps Afghanistan’s hopes alive for a semi-final spot, while England’s chances of progressing to the last four are now extinguished. Despite Joe Root’s valiant 120, England succumbed to regular wickets, marking their second consecutive ODI loss to Afghanistan after a surprising defeat in the 2023 World Cup in India. In a nail-biting finish, requiring 13 runs from the last six balls with just one wicket remaining, pacer Omarzai controlled the situation, conceding only four runs and claiming the wicket of Adil Rashid.
Amid calls for a boycott from certain British politicians regarding the treatment of women in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, the team opted to bat first in hopes of recovering from their initial loss against South Africa.
Even a cool and calm man like Joe Root has started crying.
It demonstrates that he is one of the few players diligently putting in the effort for the team. The others are content with their guaranteed spots, happily golfing around.
— Politics N Cricket(@rs_3702) February 26, 2025
However, Afghanistan quickly found themselves at 37-3 within nine overs before Zadran steadied the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership of 103 alongside skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, who scored 40. Later, Zadran and Mohammad Nabi combined for a sixth-wicket partnership of 111, with Nabi contributing 40 runs off just 24 deliveries. At 23 years old, Zadran took apart the England bowling attack, surpassing his previous ODI best of 162 with a total of 177 runs off 146 balls, featuring 12 fours and six sixes. He not only set a new personal record for Afghanistan’s highest individual ODI score but also broke a tournament record, shortly after Ben Duckett’s 165 in England’s opening loss to Australia.
“I think it was one of the best ODI innings I have ever seen,” Shahidi remarked.
England was dealt a blow when Mark Wood sustained an injury during his fourth over, managing only eight overs due to a knee issue.
In response, England stumbled early, finding themselves at 30-2 after senior spinner Mohammad Nabi struck with his first ball, dismissing Jamie Smith for nine. Duckett attempted to counterattack with a 68-run partnership with Root, stabilizing the chase before Rashid Khan trapped the left-handed opener lbw for 38.
Although Harry Brook looked promising in his 25, he was caught and bowled by Nabi in a soft dismissal, further complicating England’s position. Root maintained his composure, and alongside skipper Jos Buttler, who took time to settle before hitting two sixes, added 83 runs to keep the chase alive. Afghan bowlers maintained the pressure with dot balls, leading to Omarzai dismissing Buttler for 38 off a top edge that was caught at deep square-leg, with Liam Livingstone soon following him back to the pavilion.
Root persevered, achieving his first ODI century in nearly five years and 37 innings, while Jamie Overton chipped in with regular boundaries. However, Omarzai struck again, taking the crucial wicket of Root, who was caught behind.
“He played an unbelievable innings tonight. The way he handled pressure in the run-chase was commendable,” Buttler noted. “He needed one of the other top six batters to stay in alongside him to take the game deeper.”
The match ebbed and flowed as Omarzai dismissed Overton, but despite Jofra Archer’s late surge, England fell short, becoming the third team to be eliminated from the eight-nation tournament after hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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