LAHORE: Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran made history on Wednesday with a scintillating 177-run knock against England, the highest individual score in ICC Champions Trophy history.
His record-breaking innings in Lahore propelled Afghanistan to a thrilling eight-run victory, knocking England out of the tournament and keeping Afghanistan’s semi-final hopes alive.
Facing early setbacks, Afghanistan’s top order crumbled under England’s pace attack, losing three wickets within the powerplay. With the team struggling at 37/3, Zadran anchored the innings with a masterclass in controlled aggression. The Afghan opener forged a crucial 103-run partnership with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (45) before unleashing an onslaught in the latter half of the innings.
Playing with precision and power, Zadran struck 12 fours and six sixes in his 146-ball stay, surpassing England’s Ben Duckett, who had previously held the record for the highest Champions Trophy score with 165 against Australia. His innings not only secured a milestone in tournament history but also set a new benchmark for Afghanistan’s highest-ever ODI individual score, breaking his own record of 162 against Sri Lanka in 2022.
Afghanistan’s highest ODI total
Thanks to Zadran’s heroics, Afghanistan posted 325/7 in their 50 overs, their highest-ever total in an ICC Men’s ODI tournament. Mohammad Nabi provided late acceleration with a 40-run cameo, forming a rapid 111-run partnership with Zadran. Their explosive finish ensured Afghanistan had a defendable total against a formidable English batting line-up.
England’s bowlers struggled to contain Zadran after Jofra Archer’s early breakthroughs. Archer was the pick of the English bowlers, taking 3/42, including the key wickets of Rahman Shah and Sediqullah Atal in a fiery opening spell. However, England failed to capitalise on the early damage as Afghanistan staged a strong recovery.
England’s chase falters
In response, England started cautiously but lost opener Phil Salt early to Azmatullah Omarzai. Joe Root then stepped up with a well-compiled 120 off 111 balls, his first ODI century since 2019. He held the innings together, forming partnerships with Ben Duckett (54) and Jos Buttler (41), but England kept losing wickets at crucial moments.
Omarzai delivered a match-winning performance with the ball, finishing with figures of 5/51. His disciplined bowling saw him dismiss Root, Buttler, and Craig Overton in the final overs, preventing England from chasing down the total. Rashid Khan also played a pivotal role, breaking England’s momentum by removing Duckett just as he was looking set for a big score.
With England needing 13 runs off the final over, Omarzai held his nerve, dismissing Adil Rashid to seal a historic victory for Afghanistan. The win not only eliminated England but also set up a crucial clash for Afghanistan against Australia in the semi-final race.
Afghanistan’s remarkable turnaround in this tournament now sees them on the brink of history, with their fate resting on their final group-stage match. Meanwhile, England’s early exit marks a disappointing campaign, despite standout performances from Root and Duckett.