LAHORE – Afghanistan beat England by eight runs in the last-over thriller to keep the hopes of reaching the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinals alive.
The match, held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, saw Afghanistan put on a spectacular performance, displaying exceptional skill and resilience to defeat the formidable England on Wednesday evening.
Despite a valiant effort from England, Afghanistan’s disciplined fielding and tactical bowling ensured they came out on top in this exhilarating contest.
England started the game with a push in pursuit of a big target of 326 and lost two quick wickets for just 30 runs in 6.1 overs. Phil Salt (12) and Jamie Smith (9) fell cheaply, leaving England in a precarious position early on.
Azmatullah Omarzai remains in spotlight in Afghanistan’s dramatic victory over England in the Champions Trophy, as he took five crucial wickets.
His first breakthrough came early when he dismissed Phil Salt during the powerplay. He then removed Joe Root and Jamie Overton in quick succession, adding a significant twist to the game. Omarzai’s key wicket of Root (120) came at a critical point, putting Afghanistan in control as England’s chase faltered. He also dismissed Jos Buttler, luring him into a miscued shot caught by Rahmat Shah. To complete his remarkable spell, Omarzai played a crucial part in England’s collapse, ensuring that Afghanistan stayed on top throughout the match.
However, Joe Root, coming in at number four, stabilized the innings alongside Ben Duckett. The pair added 68 runs together before Duckett was dismissed for 38 by Rashid Khan. Root continued his fight, forming a brief 35-run partnership with Harry Brook (25) before finding solid support from England’s captain, Jos Buttler. The duo added 83 runs for the fifth wicket, pushing England past the 200-run mark. But Buttler was dismissed for 38 off 42 balls by Azmatullah Omarzai in the 37th over.
As England faced further challenges with the departure of Liam Livingstone, Root kept the chase alive, forming a crucial 57-run partnership with Jamie Overton for the seventh wicket. Root’s resilience saw him remain at the crease until he was dismissed for a brilliant 120 off 111 balls, including 12 boundaries and a six.
Overton, who had contributed 32 runs off 28 balls, was also dismissed in the 48th over, leaving England needing 39 more runs to win. Despite Root’s impressive efforts, England’s chase was faltering as the middle order struggled to build further partnerships.
Afghanistan set a challenging target of 326 after reaching 325/7 in their allotted 50 overs, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi’s decision to bat first paying off. However, they were reeling early as Jofra Archer took three quick wickets, leaving Afghanistan at 37/3 in just 8.5 overs.
Shahidi and Ibrahim then mounted a recovery, combining for a vital 103-run partnership. Shahidi was eventually dismissed for 40 off 67 balls by Adil Rashid. Ibrahim continued to anchor the innings, forming another important 82-run stand with Azmatullah Omarzai, who contributed 41 off 31 balls, including one four and three sixes.
Ibrahim, the top scorer for Afghanistan, was involved in a magnificent 111-run partnership with Mohammad Nabi before falling for a superb 177 off 146 balls, which featured 12 fours and six sixes. Nabi also contributed with a quickfire 40 off 24 balls, featuring two fours and three sixes, before being dismissed.
Archer was the standout bowler for England, claiming three wickets for 64 runs in his 10 overs. Liam Livingstone claimed two wickets, while Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid picked up one each.
The match remains finely poised, with England needing to recover quickly from their early setbacks in pursuit of a challenging total set by Afghanistan.
Ibrahim Zadran was the top scorer for Afghanistan with 177 runs, followed by Azmatullah Omarzai who made 41. Mohammad Nabi and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi contributed 40 runs. Jofraa Archer bagged three wickets and Liam Livingstone two, while Adil Rashid and Jamie Overton took one wicket each.
