Rashid goes big down the ground... and it's caught at long on! AFGHANISTAN HAVE WON BY EIGHT RUNS! Their Champions Trophy dreams remain alive... but England are out of the tournament! A repeat of the 2023 result in the ODI World Cup, but this one will feel so much worse for Englan and Jos Buttler, who is surely on his way out as England captain. But full credit to Afghanistan - first Ibrahim Zadran's special century, and then Azmatullah Omarzai bookending with remarkable figures of 5 for 58 in defense of their score of 325! A truly special night for Afghanistan cricket
Afghanistan vs England, 8th Match, Group B at Lahore, Champions Trophy, Feb 26 2025 - Match Result
RESULT
8th Match, Group B (D/N), Lahore, February 26, 2025, ICC Champions Trophy
Match centre
Scores: K Vairavan | Comms: Vithushan EhantharajahScorecard summary
Afghanistan • 325/7(50 overs)
177 (146)
3/64 (10)
41 (31)
2/28 (5)
England • 317/10(49.5 overs)
120 (111)
5/58 (9.5)
38 (42)
2/57 (8)
Cricinfo’s Most Valuable Players of the Match
That's all from us here! Off for a lie down. What a game. Afghanistan triumphant, England down and out. The Champions Trophy finally gets its barn-burner. Adios!
10:40pm "As a team we are happy and I'm sure the whole nation will be happy with this win," beams Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi.
"The first time we beat them in the 2023 World Cup. I keep saying that we are improving day by day as a team, and that's what we've showed at the last couple of world cups. Today it was a tense game, but we controlled it really well. I'm happy with the result."
[ON ZADRAN'S 177] Oh, he's absolutely brilliant. Talented guy. When we were three down at the beginning, it was too much pressure. But the partnership me and Ibrahim did was special. I think it was one of the best ODI innings I have ever seen.
ON THE TEAM OVERALL] The beauty of our team is we have talented youngsters and at the same time we have senior guys who are at the top level. Every knows their own roles of what they should do in this team. Hopefully we take this momentum with us for the next game against Australia.
10:35pm A disconsolate Jos Buttler goes first in the post-natch presentation. It is the third successive disappointment at an ICC tournament under his captaincy...
"It's really disappointing. I thought we had our chances in the game. Another fantastic game of cricket, but disappointing to come out on the wrong side.
"They got away from us there in the last 10 overs. Credit to Ibrahim, he played a fantastic innings. If we look back and reflect, 113 off the last 10 pushed them up to a score that was a very good score on that pitch.
[ON ROOT'S INNINGS] "He played an unbelievable innings tonight. The way to handle pressure in a run-chase. He needed one of the other top six batters to stay in with him and take the game deeper."
[ON HIS FUTURE AS CAPTAIN] I don't want to say any emotional statements right now. But I think for myself and the other guys at the top, we should consider all possibilities.
10:25pm lunch: "So does Omarzai's all round brilliance pip Zadran's incredible innings for POTM? wow." It doesn't. Ibrahim Zadran's 177, the highest score in Champions Trophy history, gets the gong. A lovely touch that he was the one to take the winning catch.
"I wanted to grab one good catch for the team. I batted for 50 overs and wanted to field well for me team. When I grabbed it, that feeling… wow, we won the game.
"It means a lot to me… as much as you work hard, I had trusted in myself. I wanted to bat longer and longer. That 177 is a special moment for me.
"We'll try and play better cricket in the next game. We're going to play against Australia and we'll try not to do too many mistakes. We'll have a plan for the next game."
Vivek: "Poetic! Zadran and Azmat finishing it off in the last ball for Afghanistan."
Manu: "England made 300 scores against Australia and today but ended up on the losing side! White ball cricket is so cruel"
James Derbyshir: "You can't begrudge Afghanistan the win, but that was utterly miserable as an England fan. Outclassed by a side with barely a fraction of their resources. The ECB and the whole team from top to bottom should hang their heads. While they're patting themselves on the back for making a pretty penny from the Hundred, TV deals etc., they forgot about the game."
49.5
W
Azmatullah to Rashid, OUT
Adil Rashid c Ibrahim Zadran b Azmatullah Omarzai 5 (7b 0x4 0x6 13m) SR: 71.42
9 off 2... two fours required for a Super Over...
49.4
1
Azmatullah to Wood, 1 run
Pace on, into the base of the stumps, dug out well by Wood but straight to long on again
10 off 3 needed
49.3
1
Azmatullah to Rashid, 1 run
Into the pitch once more, Rashid goes to slap down the ground again but scuffs this worse than the first one, dropping beyond cover and picked up by long on charging in from the deep.
England have not managed a boundary in their last 12 deliveries...
49.2
1
Azmatullah to Wood, 1 run
Width, full, nailed through the covers but straight to the man in the deep
Has been known to blaze a six or two... England desperately need anything of that ilk from him right now
49.1
1
Azmatullah to Rashid, 1 run
Into the pitch, sits up, Rashid slaps down to long off... and they can't come back for two because Wood simply cannot sprint. He's now on strike with 12 required off 5...
13 needed off 6... Adil Rashid's tactic will be fascinating given it seems unlikely Wood will be able to return for twos. Farooqi, who had gone off for a sub, has been called back on the field by the umpires and will be stationed at short fine leg. And play....
end of over 493 runs • 1 wicket
ENG: 313/9CRR: 6.38 • RRR: 13.00 • Need 13 from 6b
Mark Wood0 (1b)
Adil Rashid3 (4b)
Fazalhaq Farooqi 10-0-62-1
Azmatullah Omarzai 9-0-54-4
48.6
•
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Wood, no run
Slower ball, outside off, Wood defends behind point and sets off but Rashid sends him back! Perhaps understandable considering Rashid is the better bet for runs. And breathe...
Mark Wood, left knee failing him, comes out to face the final ball of the penultimate over. England need 13 off the final 7 to keep their Champions Trophy (and some jobs) alive...
Hemanth: "Ohhh England and Root!! But Afghanistan ushering in a new power dynamic here!!"
48.5
W
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Archer, OUT
CAUGHT IN THE DEEP! Another Farooqi slowie, another hopeful, lower order hack... and into the safe hands of the Wise Old Man Nabi! Kept his cool, striding in from long on... Afghanistan are on the verge...
Jofra Archer c Mohammad Nabi b Fazalhaq Farooqi 14 (8b 2x4 0x6 16m) SR: 175
48.4
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Rashid, 1 run
Dabbed to third, picked up cleanly but the throw is wayward
48.3
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Archer, 1 run
Low full toss, scythed out to deep cover
Every chance Jofra is eyeing up a huge shot here. What will Farooqi send his way?
48.2
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Rashid, 1 run
Wide of the crease, very wide with the delivery, Rashid reaches right out for it and scuffs it down the ground to long off
48.1
•
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Rashid, no run
Off cutter, turns Rashid inside off, dying in the pitch just before hand meaning his defense just leaves the ball right in front of him.
Farooqi with his final over. 16 needed from 12...
end of over 489 runs • 1 wicket
ENG: 310/8CRR: 6.45 • RRR: 8.00 • Need 16 from 12b
Adil Rashid1 (1b)
Jofra Archer13 (6b 2x4)
Azmatullah Omarzai 9-0-54-4
Fazalhaq Farooqi 9-0-59-0
47.6
1
Azmatullah to Rashid, 1 run
Length, outside off, smartly defended by Rashid before taking the single
What a game. What a sport. Adil Rashid, what have you got for us? 17 needed from 13
As this match goes down to the wire, you can follow it on our Live Hindi Blog as well
47.5
W
Azmatullah to Overton, OUT
Slower ball does the trick!!! The cutter works supreme after the short delay for a bit of sawdust... Overton is tempted into the shot down the ground and realizes halfway through that he's in strife and watches on, open-mouthed, as long on settles under a routine catch
Jamie Overton c Mohammad Nabi b Azmatullah Omarzai 32 (28b 3x4 0x6 47m) SR: 114.28
47.4
1
Azmatullah to Archer, 1 run
Pace on, full, punched smartly down the ground by Archer
Overton has equalled his highest ODI score by the way...
47.3
1
Azmatullah to Overton, 1 run
Into the pitch, hint of a cutter which does not grip, Overton scoops this into deep midwicket for just a single
47.2
4
Azmatullah to Overton, FOUR runs
Short, pulled away hard... and for four! There's a man out at deep midwicket, but that beats him with ease. Clean strike from Overton. England's persistence with him lower down the order looks like it may be paying off...
47.1
1
Azmatullah to Archer, 1 run
Slice high into the off side... Rashid Khan chases it down, puts in the dive... but he can't claim the catch! He'd done all the hard work to get there, scoping it over his shoulder... and it just falls through the hands as he comes down to earth. Incredible effort but in vain
47.1
1w
Azmatullah to Archer, 1 wide
Dug in short, but over the head of Archer and given, rightly, as a wide
Rohit: "That last over from Livingstone might make all the difference. Imagine Afghanistan had another 10 runs on the board. Different story". Absolutely. Remarkable that it only went for two runs, never mind the two wickets
By the way.. in the event of a tie, the match will be decided with a Super Over!
end of over 4710 runs
ENG: 301/7CRR: 6.40 • RRR: 8.33 • Need 25 from 18b
Jamie Overton27 (25b 2x4)
Jofra Archer11 (4b 2x4)
Fazalhaq Farooqi 9-0-59-0
Azmatullah Omarzai 8-0-45-3
46.6
•
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Overton, no run
Pace off to finish, grips in the surface, Overton drops it at his toes
46.5
2
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Overton, 2 runs
Another low full toss, this time smeared out to deep point... where the fielder fumbles not once, but twice, and allows them to take two. It could have been worse, because had it not been for a boot, that would have gone for four
Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
177 runs (146)
12 fours6 sixes
Productive shot
on drive
33 runs
0 four3 sixes
Control
90%
ENG
120 runs (111)
11 fours1 six
Productive shot
flick
26 runs
2 fours0 six
Control
89%
Best performances - bowlers
O
9.5
M
0
R
58
W
5
ECO
5.89
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W | 1W | |||
1W | ||||
1W | 1W |
LEGOFF
LHB
ENG
O
10
M
0
R
64
W
3
ECO
6.4
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W | ||||
1W |
LEGOFF
LHB
1W | ||||
Match details
| Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | |
| Toss | Afghanistan, elected to bat first |
| Series | |
| Season | 2024/25 |
| Player Of The Match | |
| Match number | ODI no. 4849 |
| Hours of play (local time) | 14.00 start, First Session 14.00-17.30, Interval 17.30-18.10, Second Session 18.10-21.40 |
| Match days | 26 February 2025 - daynight (50-over match) |
| Umpires | |
| TV Umpire | |
| Reserve Umpire | |
| Match Referee | |
| Points | Afghanistan 2, England 0 |
Language
English
Win Probability
AFG 100%
AFGENG100%50%100%
Over 50 • ENG 317/10
Adil Rashid c Ibrahim Zadran b Azmatullah Omarzai 5 (7b 0x4 0x6 13m) SR: 71.42
Afghanistan won by 8 runsW
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