LAHORE: Afghanistan’s opening batter, Ibrahim Zadran, played a sensational knock of 177 runs to guide his side to a formidable total of 325/7 in their allotted 50 overs against England in the eighth match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Wednesday.
Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, made the right call by opting to bat first, which paid off despite a challenging start. The Afghan batting unit, after being reduced to 37/3 in 8.5 overs due to Jofra Archer’s impressive bowling spell, mounted a strong recovery.
Shahidi joined Zadran at the crease and together they resurrected the innings with a brilliant 103-run partnership for the fourth wicket. However, the partnership was broken in the 30th over when Adil Rashid dismissed Shahidi for 40 off 67 balls, including three boundaries.
Zadran then partnered with Azmatullah Omarzai for a vital fifth-wicket stand, adding 82 runs off just 63 balls. Omarzai contributed with a rapid 41 from 31 balls, hitting one four and three sixes, before being dismissed by Jamie Overton in the 40th over.
The opening batsman continued to impress, forming a remarkable 111-run partnership with Mohammad Nabi. Zadran’s excellent innings of 177 off 146 balls included 12 fours and six sixes before he was dismissed on the first delivery of the final over. Nabi followed soon after, departing for 40 off 24 balls, including two fours and three sixes.
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England’s Jofra Archer was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 64 runs in his 10 overs. Liam Livingstone took two wickets, while Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid claimed one wicket each.
Afghanistan’s total of 325/7 presents a challenging target for England, who will look to chase it down in the second innings.
Playing XIs:
- Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
- England: Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
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