Afghanistan knock England out of Champions Trophy

Opener Ibrahim Zadran's 177 and a five-wicket haul by Azmatullah Omarzai helped Afghanistan knock England out of the Champions Trophy with a thrilling eight-run victory on Wednesday.

Afghanistan posted 325-7 in a virtual knockout clash in Lahore and then bowled England out for 317 in 49.5 overs to keep their semi-final hopes alive, while England's chances of reaching the last four were extinguished.

Joe Root's valiant 120 went in vain as England lost wickets at regular intervals, succumbing to their second consecutive ODI defeat to Afghanistan following their shock loss in the 2023 World Cup in India.

Needing 13 off the final over with one wicket in hand, pace bowler Omarzai held his nerve, conceding just four runs and dismissing Adil Rashid to seal the win.

Playing under the shadow of boycott calls from some British politicians over the plight of women in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, the Afghan side elected to bat first, aiming to recover from their opening defeat to South Africa.

However, they found themselves in trouble early on, slipping to 37-3 within nine overs before Zadran steadied the innings with a 103-run partnership for the fourth wicket alongside skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, who scored 40.

Zadran later forged a 111-run stand for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Nabi, who struck 40 off 24 balls.

The 23-year-old Zadran dismantled the England bowling attack, surpassing his previous best ODI score of 162 with his 146-ball innings, which featured 12 fours and six sixes.

He not only broke his own record for Afghanistan's highest individual ODI score but also set a new tournament record, just days after Ben Duckett's 165 in England's opening loss to Australia.