ENGLAND'S NIGHTMARE RUN CONTINUES!

England has now suffered six consecutive defeats in ODIs, their worst streak since September 2009. A shocking collapse for the 2019 World Cup champions, who have struggled to find form in recent months.

With their early exit from the Champions Trophy 2025, questions will be raised about their approach and team balance in the 50-over format.

Best figures for Afghanistan in ICC ODI tournaments

5/58 Azmatullah Omarzai vs Eng Lahore CT 2025
4/30 Mohd Nabi vs SL Cardiff WC 2019
4/34 Fazalhaq Farooqi vs SL Pune WC 2023
4/34 Shapoor Zadran vs Scu Dunedin WC 2015

Five-fers by an Afghanistan seamer in ODIs

6/43 Gulbadin Naib vs Ire Belfast 2019
5/45 Hamid Hassan vs UAE Dubai 2014
5/58 Azmatullah Omarzai vs Eng Lahore 2025

Highest aggregate in a Champions Trophy game

707 Eng (351/8) vs Aus (356/5) Lahore 2025
643 Ind (321/6) vs SL (322/3) The Oval 2017
642 Afg (325/7) vs Eng (317) Lahore 2025
636 Ind (331/7) vs SA (305) Cardiff 2013

Closest margin of wins in Champions Trophy (by runs)

5 Ind vs Eng Edgbaston 2013
8 Afg vs Eng Lahore 2025
10 Ind vs SA Colombo RPS 2002
10 WI vs Aus Mumbai BS 2006
10 Eng vs NZ Cardiff 2013

AFGHANISTAN STUN ENGLAND – FIRST WIN IN CT 2025!

Pakistan, Bangladesh, and now England are OUT of the tournament!

Azmatullah Omarzai once again proved why he was named ICC ODI Player of the Year – first, with a crucial knock of 41 (31) to power Afghanistan past 300, and then with a sensational five-wicket haul to crush England’s chase.

Even Joe Root’s fighting 120 (111) wasn’t enough as Omarzai’s brilliance turned the game on its head. A historic win for Afghanistan!

AFGHANISTAN KNOCK ENGLAND OUT!

Azmatullah Omarzai claims a five-wicket haul, sealing a historic win for Afghanistan! England are eliminated from the Champions Trophy 2025.

Ibrahim Zadran’s sensational 177 set the platform, and Omarzai’s all-round brilliance ensured Afghanistan defended 325 successfully. A night to remember for Afghan cricket!

Final Over Thriller!

England need 13 runs off the last over with just one wicket in hand! Can Adil Rashid and Mark Wood pull off a stunning finish, or will Afghanistan create history?

England 9 Down!

Jofra Archer departs, and Afghanistan is just one wicket away from a famous victory! England still need 13 runs off 9 balls—can Adil Rashid and Mark Wood pull off a miracle, or will Afghanistan seal the deal?

Down to the Wire!

England need 16 runs off 12 balls with two wickets in hand. Jofra Archer is looking dangerous, but Afghanistan will back their bowlers to close this out. Can Adil Rashid hold his nerve, or will Afghanistan pull off a historic win?

Another Twist! England 8 Down!

Azmatullah Omarzai strikes again! Overton departs after a well-made 32, and Afghanistan tighten their grip. England still need 25 off 17 balls with just two wickets in hand. Can Archer pull off a rescue act, or will Afghanistan script a famous win?

England Need 25 Off 18 Balls!

Archer's quickfire runs have kept England in the hunt, while Overton is holding steady. Afghanistan will be desperate for a breakthrough. Can they close it out, or will England inch closer to a famous chase?

England Need 35 Off 24 Balls!

Afghanistan have fought hard, but England still have hope with Overton and Archer at the crease. With just four overs remaining, every ball counts. Can Afghanistan hold their nerve, or will England pull off a stunning chase? A thrilling finish awaits!

Massive Wicket! Root Departs for 120*

Just when England seemed to be steadying the chase, Azmatullah Omarzai strikes again! A well-directed short ball, Root goes for the pull but only manages to feather an edge through to Gurbaz. Afghanistan erupts in celebration—this could be the turning point of the match! Root walks back after a fantastic 120 off 111, but England now have a mountain to climb.

Score after 45 overs

ENG 278-6

CENTURY FOR JOE ROOT!

A long-awaited ODI hundred for Root—his first in nearly five years! He walks across to a fuller ball and nudges it for a single to bring up the milestone. The England dressing room stands to applaud; they needed their senior batter to step up, and he has delivered. But the job isn’t done yet—Root will have to carry on if England are to chase this down!

Score after 39 overs

ENG 235-6

WICKET!

Liam Livingstone c Gurbaz b Gulbadin 10(8) [4s-2]

Gulbadin Naib strikes with his golden arm! Livingstone goes for the big shot but edges it behind to the keeper. Afghanistan are ecstatic, and the crowd erupts—this could be a turning point in the game!

Score after 38 overs

ENG 228-5

Score after 35 overs

ENG 208-4

Score after 30 overs 

ENG 172-4

STAT:

Joe Root brings up his fifty! 

A crucial knock as England look to steady their chase. He acknowledges the applause, knowing he has a big job ahead.

Score after 20 overs

ENG 124-3

Score after 15 overs

ENG 93-2

Score Update:

ENG 19-1 after 4 overs
Jamie Smith 0(3), Ben Duckett 7(8)
Azmatullah Omarzai provides the early breakthrough for Afghanistan!

WICKET! 

Phil Salt b Azmatullah 12 (13) [4s-2]

Azmatullah Omarzai strikes! A crucial breakthrough for Afghanistan as he cleans up Salt. England 20-1!

Score Update:

ENG 17-0 after 3 overs

• Ben Duckett 6*(7)
• Philip Salt 11*(11)

A steady start for England in the chase of 326. Afghanistan looking for an early breakthrough!

STAT: Fewest balls to 1000 ODI runs for England 

• 860 - Jos Buttler 
• 952 - Jason Roy
• 956 - Ben Duckett 
• 1004 - Kevin Pietersen
• 1010 - Moeen Ali

Ben Duckett joins an elite list, reaching the milestone in just 956 balls! 

Score Update:

England - 8/0 after 1 over

• Philip Salt: 8*(6) 
• Ben Duckett: 0*(0)
• Fazalhaq Farooqi: 1-0-8-0

A positive start for England as Salt finds the boundary early. Afghanistan will look for early breakthroughs to put pressure on the chase.

Second Innings Begins!

Phil Salt and Ben Duckett are at the crease, with Salt taking the strike. Fazalhaq Farooqi has the new ball in hand, ready to kick off Afghanistan’s defense of 325. Can England get off to a flying start, or will Afghanistan strike early?

Stat:

The highest successful chase against Afghanistan in ODIs is 314, achieved by Sri Lanka in Pallekele (2022).

England needs to break this record if they are to pull off this chase in the Champions Trophy 2025!

Ibrahim Zadran - Take a Bow!

One of the finest knocks in Champions Trophy history! Despite Afghanistan's early struggles, losing three wickets in the powerplay, Zadran remained unfazed. His calculated innings, filled with crucial partnerships alongside Shahidi, Omarzai, and Nabi, propelled Afghanistan past 300.

Zadran displayed remarkable game awareness—playing the aggressor with Shahidi before letting Omarzai take charge later. His endurance was equally impressive, consistently running twos and even taking a four-run sequence in the 46th over. By the time he fell in the last over, he had rewritten multiple records.

Now, the big question—can England chase this down? Australia made 350+ look easy at this venue, and England will hope for the same. Afghanistan, meanwhile, will be banking on their spinners, hoping the dew stays away.

The chase promises to be a thriller—stay tuned!

Afghanistan finish at 325/7 in 50 overs!

A sensational innings by Ibrahim Zadran (177 off 146) powered them to a commanding total, with valuable contributions from Omarzai (41), Nabi (40), and Shahidi (40). England now face a challenging chase—can their batters step up?

Afghanistan finish at 325/7!

A powerful batting display led by Ibrahim Zadran’s 177(146), with solid contributions from Omarzai (41 off 31), Nabi (40 off 24), and Shahidi (40 off 67). Livingstone's late strikes helped England pull things back slightly, but Afghanistan have posted a huge total. Can England chase it down?

End of a Masterclass – Ibrahim Zadran Departs for 177

A breathtaking knock finally comes to a close! Zadran played a near-flawless innings, but the longer boundary proved his undoing. The Afghan dugout rises in appreciation, and Rashid Khan is the first to congratulate him. A true innings of character and class!

Ibrahim Zadran Brings Up 150!

A monumental innings from the Afghan opener! He continues to lead from the front, ensuring Afghanistan finish strong. The entire team is on their feet, and the crowd erupts in applause. Can he stay till the end and take them past 300?

Score Update: 45 Overs

AFG 266-5

• Ibrahim Zadran 144*(131)
• Mohammad Nabi 18*(13)

Afghanistan pushing towards a big finish with Zadran anchoring the innings brilliantly! Can they cross 300?

Jamie Overton strikes!

Azmatullah Omarzai falls after a well-made 41(31). With the scoring rate slowing down, he had to go for the big shot. Overton anticipated it well, delivering a clever slower ball at 123.6kph. Lacking the timing, Omarzai miscued his lofted shot straight to long-on, where Tom Banton (sub) took an easy catch. A crucial breakthrough for England!

STAT: Most Individual Hundreds in a Single Champions Trophy Edition

• 10 hundreds in CT 2025 – Joint-most alongside 2002 and 2017.
• Pakistan is now the only team without an individual hundred in CT 2025.

Hundreds for Afghanistan in ICC ODI Events

• Ibrahim Zadran – 129* vs Australia, Wankhede (WC 2023)
• Ibrahim Zadran – 100* vs England, Lahore (CT 2025)

Zadran continues to deliver on the big stage.

Century for Ibrahim Zadran!

A classy knock from the Afghan opener! 🎉 He continues to shine on the big stage, adding another memorable ton to his name after his century against Australia in the 2023 World Cup. A vital innings leading Afghanistan’s charge! 👏🔥

🔹 Score Update After 30 Overs 🔹

🇦🇫 AFG: 143-4
🏏 Ibrahim Zadran 82*(83)
🏏 Azmatullah Omarzai 2*(2)

Zadran holding the innings together as Afghanistan looks to accelerate in the final 20 overs. Can England strike again, or will AFG set a challenging total? 🔥🏏

Adil Rashid Strikes! 

Bowled him! Rashid comes back and delivers for England! A clever 52 mph delivery, slipping past Shahidi’s attempted reverse sweep and crashing into the stumps.

🔹 Shahidi departs for 40(67) [4s-3]
🔹 End of a crucial 100-run stand!

England get the breakthrough they were desperate for! Can they build on this now? 

Century Stand for Afghanistan! 

Root to Shahidi – FOUR!
Shahidi steps down, meets the ball right at the pitch, and lofts it beautifully over cover! The partnership reaches 100 runs, and Afghanistan is picking up the pace! 

Score Update After 20 Overs 

🇦🇫 Afghanistan – 81/3
🔹 Ibrahim Zadran: 42*(57)
🔹 Hashmatullah Shahidi: 20*(35)

A steady partnership building here! Can Afghanistan push on from here? 

Score Update After 15 Overs

Afghanistan – 56/3
🔹 Ibrahim Zadran: 27*(41)
🔹 Hashmatullah Shahidi: 10*(21)

England keeping things tight, Afghanistan looking to rebuild!

After 10 Overs: Afghanistan Struggling at 39/3

AFG: 39-3 (10 overs)

Ibrahim Zadran is holding one end steady on *21(28), while skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi is just getting started at *1(4). England’s pacers, especially Jofra Archer, have kept the pressure on with early breakthroughs. Afghanistan needs a solid partnership now! 

WICKET! Jofra Archer Strikes Again! 

AFG: 34-3 (8.3 overs)

Jofra Archer gets his third!  A well-directed bouncer at 144kph forces Rahmat into an uncomfortable hook shot, and Adil Rashid takes a sharp catch at fine leg. Afghanistan in early trouble!

Score Update After 8 Overs

🇦🇫 AFG: 34-2
🔹 Ibrahim Zadran 19*(23) 🔥
🔹 Rahmat Shah 2*(6)

A steady recovery from Afghanistan after early setbacks. Zadran finding some rhythm, but England will look for another breakthrough soon! ⚡ #ENGvsAFG

Score Update After 6 Overs

🇦🇫 AFG: 21-2
🔹 Ibrahim Zadran 8*(16)
🔹 Rahmat Shah 0*(1)

Jofra Archer's fiery spell has put Afghanistan on the back foot with two early wickets. England tightening the screws with disciplined bowling. Can Afghanistan rebuild from here? 🚀

WICKET! Sediqullah Atal LBW b Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer strikes again! A full-length delivery on middle and leg, holding its line with pace. Sediqullah Atal tries to flick across but misses, getting struck on the pads. Looked plumb to the naked eye, but after a quick chat with Ibrahim Zadran, he opts for a review.

UltraEdge confirms no bat involved—the spike was from the bat hitting the pad. Over to ball-tracking… and it's three reds! Crashing into middle of middle-stump!

The sheer pace of Archer proving too much once again. Atal played all around it and had to walk back.

Sediqullah Atal lbw b Jofra Archer 4(4) [4s-1]

WICKET! Gurbaz bowled by Jofra Archer

139.1kph full-length delivery outside off, swinging in sharply! Gurbaz, stuck on the crease with minimal foot movement, tries to drive through covers but gets an inside edge that crashes into the leg-stump. A brilliant setup by Archer, constantly troubling him with pace and bounce before getting him with the fuller one. The ball even deflected off his back pad before rattling the stumps.

Gurbaz b Jofra Archer 6(15)

Score Update: 4 Overs

AFG 11-0
Rahmanullah Gurbaz 7(14), Ibrahim Zadran 2(10)

Score Update: 1 Over

AFG 4-0

Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are at the crease. Gurbaz is on strike. Jofra Archer will open the attack