Champions Trophy: Incredible Victory! Cricket World Celebrates Afghanistan's Triumph Over England
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Synopsis
The Afghanistan men's cricket team received widespread acclaim for their extraordinary win against England in the Champions Trophy 2025, led by outstanding performances from Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai. This match showcased Afghanistan's growth as a formidable cricketing force on the global stage.
Key Takeaways
- A remarkable victory for Afghanistan against England in the Champions Trophy 2025.
- Ibrahim Zadran set a record with 177 runs, the highest score in Champions Trophy history.
- Azmatullah Omarzai achieved impressive bowling figures of 5-58.
- Former players praised Afghanistan's performance and urged England to improve their game in Sub-Continent conditions.
- Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed pride in the team's growth and performance.
Mumbai, Feb 27 (NationPress) The cricket community erupted in enthusiastic acclaim for the Afghanistan men's cricket team, particularly Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai, who played a pivotal role in a remarkable win against former champions England during the Champions Trophy 2025 held in Lahore on Wednesday.
After struggling at 37/3 in the initial Power-play, Afghanistan surged ahead, thanks to a magnificent 177 from Zadran—the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history—and significant contributions from skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (40), Mohammad Nabi (40), and Omarzai (41), leading to an impressive total of 325/7. Omarzai further showcased his talent by claiming 5-58, marking the best bowling figures by an Afghan bowler as England was dismissed for 317, despite a valiant 120 from Joe Root.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan commented, "Exceptional performance from Afghanistan.. A well-deserved victory... England has not demonstrated adequate white-ball cricket skills in recent years. This outcome isn’t surprising under these circumstances," in a post on X, previously known as Twitter.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) celebrated Omarzai's display as "an exemplary all-round performance."
"All-Round performance at its very best - 41 (31) & 5/58. Another outstanding all-round effort from @AzmatOmarzay, who achieved his first five-wicket haul and was instrumental in Afghanistan's success over England!" the ACB shared on its official X account.
Former India captain and respected commentator Ravi Shastri also commended the Afghanistan team for their outstanding play on Wednesday, urging England to take their Sub-Continent games more seriously.
"Afghanistan. You guys rock. Kammaaal Kaardi. For England. Take your gameplay in the Sub-continent seriously without excuses. Only then will you be recognized as a team that can TRAVEL," Shastri stated.
Incredible scenes of jubilation unfolded among the Afghanistan players at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. This victory resonated with memories of Afghanistan's previous upset against England during the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed his joy over the team's performance, stating that the entire nation would celebrate this win. "As a team, we are pleased, and I’m sure the entire nation will be thrilled with this victory," he remarked.
"This marks our first victory over them in the 2023 World Cup. I continuously emphasize that we are improving every day as a team, which we have demonstrated in the last couple of World Cups. Today was a tense match, but we managed it exceptionally well. I’m delighted with the result."
"The strength of our team lies in our talented young players, paired with experienced veterans at the peak of their game. Everyone understands their roles and responsibilities within the team. Hopefully, we can carry this momentum into our next match against Australia," stated the Afghanistan skipper.
