Champions Trophy 2025: Afghanistan Stun England With 8-Run Victory, Knock Out From Tournament: In an exciting ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group B match, Afghanistan lifted the flag of victory against mighty England with eight runs at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on February 26, 2025. It was the first time that Afghanistan tasted victory in this trophy, and England was thrown away from the trophy.
Champions Trophy 2025 AFG vs ENG: Match Summary
Afghanistan’s Innings
Batting first, Afghanistan amassed a total that was quite good at 325/7. The innings were well shellacked by opener Ibrahim Zadran with an all-time record-breaking performance of 177 runs off 146 balls. Thus, registering the highest individual score in the history of the Champions Trophy. This innings was laced with 12 fours and six sixes. Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi contributed to the total. The best bowler in England was Jofra Archer with 3 for 64 runs.
Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: Australia vs South Africa Clash Abandoned Due To Rain In Rawalpindi
England’s Response
Facing a target of 326, England started poorly, losing Phil Salt (12) and Jamie Smith (9). Resilience characterized Joe Root’s innings, where he made 120 from 111 balls; this was his first ODI tonne since 2019. Unfortunately, English runs did not come at regular intervals and were hindered by a major wicket loss through the effort of Azmatullah Omarzai (5/58). It all finished quite dramatically as England ended on 317, short by eight runs from their goal.
Key Performances
Ibrahim Zadran: The giant 177 runs made by him set a new standard for the competition and were instrumental in getting a competitive score for Afghanistan.
Joe Root: Tried steering England through by hitting 120 runs, showing grit.
Azmatullah Omarzai: Five wickets taken, including a crucial wicket of Root, helped Afghanistan to defend this score.
As a result, Afghanistan will now be in contention for a semi-final spot while the English campaign ends prematurely—upon the first group-stage exit since 2006.
Playing 11 of Afghanistan and England
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
England: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
