Afghanistan Knock England Out of Champions Trophy 2025
Author: Vishnu Reddy
Updated At:
As the semifinal stage nears, the competition has become more intense in the Champions Trophy 2025. In the eighth match of the ongoing tournament, the cricket world witnessed a dramatic showdown as Afghanistan dashed England’s dream to reach the semifinals stage with an 8-run win. In that thrilling showdown, even a minute was unmissable as the Afghan players stole the show with their fighting spirit.
Jofra Archer Shatters Afghanistan’s Top Order
The Gaddafi Stadium witnessed a thrilling game of cricket as Afghanistan and England faced each other in a thriller. While bowling first, the English bowlers showcased their brilliance and shattered Afghanistan’s top order.
Jofra Archer gave a dominating start as he removed Ramanullah Gurbaz and Sediquallah Atal in the same over. After that, Archer struck again as he dismissed Rahmat Shah in the 9th over. Along with him, Liam Livingstone left his mark as he secured 2 secure scalps.
Ibrahim Zadran’s Heroics Turn The Tide
In global cricket, Afghan players are known for their fighting spirit. Ibrahim Zadran proved this fact in the last match. While opening the innings, Zadran stood tall and anchored Afghanistan’s innings.
He boosted the team’s total with a gritty century and played an exceptional knock of 177 runs in 146 balls with 12 boundaries and 6 over-boundaries. With that, he registered the highest ODI score for Afghanistan in ODIs.
Joe Root’s Century Boosts England To Chase Down The Total
While chasing 317 runs, the England side lost the first wicket as early as Phil Salt. After that, Jamie Smith also walked out early. But Joe Root’s excellence shined again. The ace English batter known for his batting brilliance over the years shined against and gave a huge boost to the team.
After smashing a crucial century, he shone with an exceptional knock of 120 runs in 111 deliveries with 11 boundaries and 1 over-boundary. That knock pushes the Jos Buttler-led side to stay in the game.
Azmat's Brilliance Seal's The Historic Win for Afghanistan
Azmatullah Omarzai stole the show while defending the total, striking early by dismissing Phil Salt for just 12 runs. Along with him, Mohammad Nabi secured 2 crucial scalps. As Joe Root graced the stage with his brilliance, Omarzai turned the tide as he dismissed Root in an outstanding delivery.
But the day belonged to the Afghan star. He registered an outstanding 5-wicket haul and ended the match with a figure of 5/58. With the other bowlers stepping up, Afghanistan edged out England by a thrilling 8-run margin.
Key Stats In The AFG vs ENG Match
As the match unfolded at the Gaddafi Stadium, fans enjoyed a thrilling encounter. As both sides faced each other in an intense clash, the match scripted some incredible milestones.
- Afghanistan’s thrilling victory over England now stands as the second-narrowest win by runs in Champions Trophy history.
- This high-scoring thriller turned into a run fest, setting the record as the third-highest aggregate in Champions Trophy history with a total of 642 runs.
- Ahmatullah Omarzai secured the best figures for Afghanistan in an ICC ODI tournament with 5/58.
- Azmatullah Omarzai becomes the third Afghan seamer to secure a fifer in ODIs after Gulbadin Naib and Hamid Hassan.
- With a record score of 177 runs, Ibrahim Zadran registered the highest score in ODIs by an Afghan batter.
- Along with that, England scripted a forgettable record to lose six consecutive ODIs since September 2009.
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