Afghanistan won by 8 runs to bag their first win of the tournament.
Cricket News
Afghanistan won a cliffhanger of a game against England in the Match No. 8 of the Champions Trophy 2025, held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. An eight-run win was all it needed for Afghanistan to thrash England out the tournament. The win was filled with ecstasy for the Hashmat Shahidi-led side, as they kept their qualification hopes alive with an emphatic win in the do-or-die fixture.
England were asked to bowl first on a batting deck after Shahidi won the toss. The English side did hand early breakthroughs, striking into the game right away. However, it was Ibrahim Zadran who absolutely stole the show with his sheer brilliance to rise to the occasion and contribute with a 177, before getting dismissed in the final over of the innings as Afghanistan were able to post 325 for 7 in 50 overs.
Talking Points
Zadran drives Afghanistan home
Glorious stroke making abilities of Zadran were the reason England could not pounce onto the opportunities after getting the first three wickets for just 37 runs. A crucial partnership between him and the Afghan skipper took the team out of a spot of bother. Later, Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai too contributed with swift forties, but Zadran stayed till the very end to finish with 177 off just 146 deliveries, which included 12 fours and six sixes. This also became the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history.
Also Read: WPL 2025: Match 12, BLR-W vs GJ-W Match Prediction
All-round Omarzai holds nerves
Omarzai was involved in a crucial partnership with Zadran, but his best outing came with the ball in hand during the second innings. In his five-wicket haul, the seam bowler got the numbers of Joe Root, Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid. Notably, Rashid’s wicket came on the penultimate delivery of the match, as Omarzai had to defend 13 runs off the last over in a match that had gone to the wire.
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