Ibrahim Zadran’s stunning 177 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s five-wicket haul outshone Joe Root’s brilliant century, as Afghanistan secured a thrilling 8-run victory to eliminate a lackluster England from the Champions Trophy on Wednesday. With two consecutive losses, England remains winless and will face South Africa in their final Group B match. South Africa, alongside Australia, has three points, while Afghanistan, now with two points, must defeat Australia in their last group game to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive.
England’s chase never fully took off, as early wickets of Phil Salt and Jamie Smith left them struggling at 30/2. They eventually collapsed to 317 all out with one ball to spare, with Omarzai (5/58) delivering crucial breakthroughs.
Afghanistan Stuns England to Stay Alive in Champions Trophy
Root (120 off 111 balls, 11 fours, 1 six) anchored England’s innings with crucial partnerships. He added 68 runs with Ben Duckett (38) for the third wicket. Later, he shared an 83-run stand with captain Jos Buttler for the fifth wicket. These partnerships were steady rather than explosive but kept England in the chase. However, the quick dismissals of Duckett and Buttler increased the pressure on Root. He played a calculated innings, keeping his strike rate close to 100 without taking unnecessary risks.
His signature strokes, like a reverse sweep off Noor Ahmad and a scoop over the keeper against Fazalhaq Farooqi, highlighted his finesse. He reached his 17th ODI century with a single off Rashid Khan but was eventually caught behind attempting a ramp shot against Omarzai.
Jamie Overton (32 off 28) fought on, adding 54 runs for the seventh wicket, but his departure signaled the end of England’s campaign.
Earlier, Afghanistan posted an impressive 325/7, powered by Zadran’s commanding knock. His century came off 146 balls (12 fours, 6 sixes), supported by Hashmatullah Shahidi (40 off 67), with whom he shared a 103-run stand for the fourth wicket, and Omarzai (41 off 31), adding another 72 runs for the fifth. Later, Zadran and Mohammad Nabi (40 off 24) piled on 111 runs for the sixth wicket, putting England under immense pressure.
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Afghanistan’s start, however, was shaky after choosing to bat. Jofra Archer (3/64) struck early, dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz, trapping Sediquallah Atal lbw, and forcing Rahmat Shah into a miscue, reducing them to 37/3 inside the Powerplay.
Zadran, alongside Shahidi, began a cautious rebuild. After reaching his fifty off 65 balls, he accelerated, taking on Jamie Overton with consecutive boundaries. Shahidi’s dismissal attempting a reverse sweep off Adil Rashid momentarily stalled momentum, but Omarzai’s arrival reignited the charge.
Zadran reached his sixth ODI hundred in 106 balls. He then shifted gears, smashing Overton for 6, 4, 4 in a single over. His aggressive finish included several boundaries off Archer. This explosive display took him past 150 for the second time in his career.
In the final 10 overs, Afghanistan plundered 113 runs as England’s bowling crumbled. Zadran and Nabi’s rapid partnership, scoring at over 11 runs per over, dismantled England’s attack. Zadran eventually fell to Liam Livingstone in the final over, but by then, the damage was done.
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