Afghanistan stun England again to end their Champions Trophy tilt and will now seek to do the same to Australia
Match Report:
ScorecardAfghanistan knock England out of Champions Trophy
Afghanistan have caused the boilover of the Champions Trophy by knocking England out with a nail-biting eight-run win in Lahore with eliminating Australia now in their sights in their next match.
The Afghans prevailed in a thriller at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday, Ibrahim Zadran smashing the tournament's highest-ever score of 177 in their 7-325 before England fell just short, bowled out for 317, despite Joe Root's superb 120.
The victory sparked ecstatic celebrations from tournament debutants Afghanistan, who now face Australia in their final group B match at the same stadium on Friday, knowing they'll seal a place in a second-straight semi-final of an ICC showpiece after last year's T20 World Cup should they beat Steve Smith's side.
Victory is also a must for Australia on their quest for a third title as it would seal their place in the last-four, but defeat to the Afghans would send Smith's men spinning out of the tournament should South Africa then beat demoralised England in Saturday's final group B match.
Currently, Australia are on three points alongside South Africa, but lagging behind on net run-rate (2.140 to 0.475) with Afghanistan in third on two points.
"It means a lot to me … as much as you work hard, I had trust in myself. I wanted to bat longer and longer. That 177 is a special moment for me," said Zadran, who batted for the entire 50 overs for his record-breaking score.
But he's even more enthused about the prospect of what's to come. "We'll try and play better cricket in the next game. We're going to play against Australia and we'll try not to do too many mistakes. We'll have a plan."
For England, though, who also lost their opener to Australia in Lahore, the defeat simply represents the nadir of a terrible white-ball winter, with a big question mark now over the future of captain Jos Buttler.
"I don't want to say any emotional statements right now," Buttler said afterwards.
"For myself and the guys at the top, we should consider all possibilities."
But for Afghanistan, who had also beaten England at the 2023 50-over World Cup in India, there was nothing but joy.
"I know the whole nation will be happy and hopefully we take this momentum with us for the next game against Australia," said Afghan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi.
Australia will know what a tough match awaits them on Friday after Afghanistan won the two sides' last meeting in the T20 event last year, while also having world champions on the ropes at the 2023 World Cup until a Glenn Maxwell miracle in Mumbai.
The 23-year-old Zadran's innings was magnificent, featuring 12 fours and six sixes, after Afghanistan had elected to bat and had to withstand a triple strike from Jofra Archer (3-64) in the first five overs.
Zadran repaired the damage with skipper Shahidi (40) in a 103-run partnership.
But it was only in the last 10 overs that he really excelled, smashing Archer for 20 in one of them as Afghanistan rattled up 113 off the final 60 balls and Zadran went past Ben Duckett's individual Champions Trophy record of 165 made against Australia last Saturday.
With the pressure on, England were reliant Root's mastery to hold the chase together as fast bowler Azmatullah Omarzai, who'd also cracked 41 off 31 balls, proved their bowling star with 5-58.
Omarzai's victims included Phil Salt, the first wicket in the innings to fall as he departed for just 12, Buttler for 38 and, most critically, Root for 120.
The Yorkshire maestro had been at the crease for 111 balls when tempted to swat at a short ball, which he could only glove behind, leaving England 7-287, with 30 still needed.
Jamie Overton made a late, brave 32 but once he too had fallen to Omarzai, England were doomed, leaving their former batter Jonathan Trott, who now coaches Afghanistan, to celebrate.
2025 ICC men's Champions Trophy standings
Round 1
Group A
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
IND
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.715 | 0 | 6 |
|
2
NZ
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.267 | 0 | 4 |
|
3
BAN
|
3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | -0.443 | 0 | 1 |
|
4
PAK
|
3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | -1.087 | 0 | 1 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
Group B
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
SA
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.395 | 0 | 5 |
|
2
AUS
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.475 | 0 | 4 |
|
3
AFG
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -0.99 | 0 | 3 |
|
4
ENG
|
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -1.159 | 0 | 0 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
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