Mugdha Das

Afg vs Eng Champions Trophy: Afghanistan defeats England by 8 runs

Digital Desk: England was eliminated from the Champions Trophy 2025 group stage after losing to Afghanistan by eight runs on Wednesday. After losing their initial game to Australia, England faced a do-or-die situation. Similarly, Afghanistan achieved a historic victory and remained in contention for the semifinals.

England, chasing 326, were knocked out for 317 thanks to Azmatullah Omarzai's five-wicket haul (5 for 58). However, Ibrahim Zadran's 177 off 146 balls was the match's highlight, putting Afghanistan in serious contention. After losing three wickets in the powerplay, Afghanistan was in disarray, but Zadran delivered an outstanding performance.

It contributed to Afghanistan's impressive total of 325 for 7 after they chose to bat first.

Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran scored an unprecedented 177 runs, accounting for more than 60% of his team's total. He steadied the innings after Afghanistan had fallen to 37/3, forming key partnerships with Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mohammad Nabi. Zadran's 146-ball innings, which included 12 fours and six sixes, became Afghanistan's best individual score in ODIs, breaking his previous record of 162 against Sri Lanka. He also surpassed Ben Duckett's record for the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history.

Azmatullah Omarzai demonstrated his abilities as a top-tier all-rounder. Afghanistan's innings were accelerated in the final overs thanks to his rapid 41 off 31 balls at the bat. However, his most significant contribution came with the ball, when he grabbed a historic five-wicket haul (5/58), being the first Afghan bowler to take a fifer in an ICC ODI event. He ensured Afghanistan's defense of 325 runs by taking out England's centurion Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Jamie Overton.