With South Africa and Australia occupying the top two slots in Group B, England and Afghanistan need to win their second game if they are to stay alive in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi clinched early wickets in the powerplay to put Afghanistan in the driving seat in a must-win Group B Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan in Lahore.
Banging one in on good length, Omarzai skid one through the England opener to hand Afghanistan their opening breakthrough after Ibrahim Zadran constructed a power-packed ton to help them put on 325/7 with the bat.
Mohammad Nabi would get the better of Jamie Smith off the first ball of his spell to make it two wickets for Afghanistan in the powerplay.
Earlier, Ibrahim Zadran forged 177 runs off 146 deliveries, lacing 12 fours and six maximums as Afghanistan put on their highest-ever total in ICC Men’s ODI tournaments.
With three wickets down at the end of the powerplay, Zadran combined alongside skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi to add 103 runs for the fourth wicket as Afghanistan turned the tide.
While Shahidi was removed by Adil Rashid in the 30th over, Ibrahim kept the scoreboard ticking, becoming the first-ever Afghanistan batter to score a hundred in the ICC Champions Trophy.
The swashbuckling batter then stitched a 111-run partnership with Mohammad Nabi (40) as the duo put on a power-hitting masterclass in the death overs.
Zadran overtook England’s Ben Duckett to register the highest-ever score in ICC Champions Trophy as the Afghans mounted a comeback.
For England, Jofra Archer had ripped into the Afghanistan top-order in his news ball burst. The tearaway quick had nipped one into the right hander who played it onto his stumps. The right-arm quick then trapped Sediqullah Atal leg before wicket in the same over to reduce the Afghans to 15/2.
Archer then claimed a third, luring Rahman Shah into pulling one straight to the fielder at the deep square leg.
With both teams requiring a win to stay in contention for the semi-finals, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and have opted to bat first.
While Afghanistan made no changes to their playing XI from their first outing against South Africa, England have brought in Jamie Overton to replace Brydon Carse, who misses out due to injury.
Playing XI
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
England: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
