Afghanistan has made history once again by eliminating England from the Champions Trophy. After their sensational win against England in the last ODI World Cup, Rashid Khan and his team have dealt another blow to the English side. In only their second match of their first-ever Champions Trophy appearance, Afghanistan crushed England.
This victory marks a historic milestone for Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, England’s humiliating defeat has resulted in their early exit from the tournament. Having already lost to Australia in their opening match, back-to-back defeats sealed their fate.
On Wednesday (February 26), Afghanistan set a target of 326 runs after batting first. In response, England was bowled out for 317, handing Afghanistan a thrilling 8-run victory.
England’s Chase Falls Short
England’s chase got off to a shaky start as opener Phil Salt fell early, scoring just 12 runs off 13 balls. Jamie Smith, batting at number three, could only manage 9 runs off 13 balls before departing.
However, Joe Root and Ben Duckett tried to stabilize the innings. Duckett fell for 38 off 45 balls, missing out on a half-century. Harry Brook chipped in with 25 off 21 balls, while Root reached his fifty in 50 balls. Captain Jos Buttler provided support, but he, too, missed a half-century, scoring 38 off 42 balls.
Liam Livingstone failed to make an impact, but Root kept England’s hopes alive, bringing up a brilliant century off 98 balls. Craig Overton gave him good support, but Root’s dismissal in the 46th over put England in deep trouble.
Root’s heroic 120 off 111 balls wasn’t enough. Overton (32 off 28) and Jofra Archer (14 off 8) tried to fight back, but England needed 13 runs off the last over. Adil Rashid (5 off 7) was dismissed on the final ball, and England was bowled out for 317, giving Afghanistan a historic 8-run victory.
Afghanistan’s Bowling Brilliance
Azmatullah Omarzai was the star with the ball, taking 5 wickets. Mohammad Nabi grabbed 2 wickets, while Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid Khan, and Gulbadin Naib took one wicket each.
Afghanistan’s Strong Batting Performance
Earlier, after winning the toss, Afghanistan suffered an early collapse, losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz (6 off 15), Sadiqullah Atal (4), and Rahmat Shah (4 off 9) within 37 runs.
However, Ibrahim Zadran and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi led the recovery, pushing Afghanistan past the 140-run mark. Shahidi scored 40 off 67 balls before getting out, while Zadran reached his fifty in 65 balls.
Azmatullah Omarzai played an aggressive knock of 41 off 31 balls but fell short of a half-century. Meanwhile, Zadran continued his dominance, scoring a century off 106 balls.
Zadran accelerated in the final overs, smashing boundaries and reaching 150 off 134 balls. Mohammad Nabi provided quick runs, scoring 40 off 24 balls. Zadran eventually fell for a magnificent 177 off 146 balls in the final over. Afghanistan finished at a formidable 325/7 in their allotted 50 overs.
This victory not only marks Afghanistan’s rise in international cricket but also ends England’s Champions Trophy campaign in a shocking fashion.
