Afghanistan thrills with eight-run win to knock England out of Champions Trophy

Afghanistan sealed a thrilling eight-run victory over England in the eighth match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, held at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday. Ibrahim Zadran’s remarkable knock of 177 runs, combined with Azmatullah Omarzai’s stunning five-wicket haul, helped Afghanistan to a thrilling win and kept their semi-final hopes alive. The result ended England’s chances of progressing to the next round.

England started their chase of 326 runs poorly, losing two early wickets for just 30 runs in 6.1 overs. Phil Salt (12) and Jamie Smith (9) both fell cheaply, leaving England struggling. Joe Root, coming in at number four, joined Ben Duckett at the crease and steadied the ship.

The pair shared a vital 68-run partnership before Rashid Khan dismissed Duckett for 38. Root then formed a short but important 35-run partnership with Harry Brook (25). Root was able to find more stability at the other end when he was joined by England’s captain, Jos Buttler. The two experienced players added 83 runs for the fifth wicket, pushing England past the 200-run mark.

However, Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai broke the partnership in the 37th over, getting rid of Buttler, who had scored 38 off 42 balls, including two sixes. England’s chase took another blow when Liam Livingstone was dismissed after a brief stay at the crease.

Root, batting with Jamie Overton, continued to fight, putting together a crucial 54-run partnership for the seventh wicket. But Omarzai struck again, dismissing Root for 120 off 111 balls, which included 12 boundaries with a six. With England needing 17 runs, Overton also fell in the 48th over, leaving England with little hope.

Omarzai sealed the win for Afghanistan in the final over, taking his fifth wicket and finishing with career-best bowling figures of 5/58. Mohammad Nabi also played a key role with two wickets, while Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, and Fazalhaq Farooqi all took one wicket each.

Earlier, Afghanistan’s decision to bat first proved to be a wise one, as they posted a challenging total of 325/7 in their 50 overs. However, their innings got off to a rocky start when Jofra Archer destroyed the top order, taking three quick wickets to leave Afghanistan struggling at 37/3 in 8.5 overs.

Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, then teamed up with Ibrahim Zadran to launch a remarkable recovery. The pair added 103 runs for the fourth wicket before Shahidi was dismissed by Adil Rashid for 40 off 67 balls.

Ibrahim continued to impress, forming a key partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai, adding 72 runs off just 63 balls before Omarzai was dismissed for 41 off 31 balls. Ibrahim then partnered with Mohammad Nabi to add 111 runs for the sixth wicket. Ibrahim was finally dismissed on the first ball of the final over after an incredible knock of 177 off 146 balls, which included 12 fours and six sixes. Nabi followed shortly after, scoring a quickfire 40 off 24 balls, with two fours and three sixes.

Archer was the standout bowler for England, taking 3 wickets for 64 runs in his 10 overs. Liam Livingstone also picked up two wickets, while Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid took one wicket each.

This thrilling win for Afghanistan keeps them in the race for the semi-finals, while England’s campaign comes to an end. Afghanistan’s next match will be against Australia on Friday, February 28, at Gaddafi Stadium, with both teams fighting for a semi-final spot.