Lahore: In a thrilling Group B match of the Champions Trophy 2025 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Afghanistan defeated England by 9 runs, eliminating them from the tournament. Afghanistan, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, posted a strong total of 325 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 50 overs. In response, England was bowled out for 317 runs, despite a valiant 120-run innings by Joe Root.
Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran was the star of the match, scoring a magnificent 177 runs. He built crucial partnerships with Hashmatullah Shahidi (40 runs) and Azmatullah Omarzai (41 runs), adding 103 and 72 runs, respectively. Later, a blistering 111-run partnership with Mohammad Nabi propelled Afghanistan to their competitive total. For England, Jofra Archer took 3 wickets, while Liam Livingstone claimed 2, and Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid picked up one wicket each.
England started their chase strongly but lost wickets at regular intervals. Joe Root’s heroic 120-run knock kept England in the game, but Afghanistan’s bowlers applied pressure in the final stages, bowling England out for 317 runs. Azmatullah Omarzai was the standout bowler, taking 5 wickets, while Mohammad Nabi grabbed 2, and other bowlers chipped in with one wicket each.
This defeat knocked England out of the semi-final race in the Champions Trophy 2025, while Afghanistan continued their impressive run in the tournament with this remarkable victory.
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