Ibrahim Zadran played a sensational knock of 177 runs to help Afghanistan post a strong total of 325 for 7 in their crucial Champions Trophy 2025 clash against England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. His innings, laced with 12 fours and 6 sixes, now stands as the highest individual score in the tournament’s history and also surpasses his previous best of 162, making it the highest ODI score by an Afghan batter.

Early Wickets Put Afghanistan Under Pressure

Afghanistan’s decision to bat first did not go as planned, as Jofra Archer’s fiery spell left them struggling at 37 for 3. Archer’s pace and accuracy proved too much for the Afghan top order, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, and Rahmat Shah all falling early. His clever mix of full deliveries and sharp bouncers kept the batters guessing and put England in control in the opening phase.

Zadran and Shahidi Steady the Ship

With the innings in trouble, Zadran joined forces with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi to rebuild. The duo took a cautious approach at first, ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking. Zadran reached his half-century off 65 balls, gradually shifting gears. The momentum changed when he took on Jamie Overton in the 28th over, collecting 16 runs, including a stunning six straight down the ground.

Shahidi contributed 40 before he was bowled while attempting an unorthodox reverse shot against Adil Rashid, breaking a crucial partnership.

Late Acceleration Lifts Afghanistan Past 300

Zadran, who took 106 balls to reach his century, picked up pace significantly, needing just 28 more deliveries to bring up his next fifty. Azmatullah Omarzai played a supporting role with a quickfire 41 off 31 balls, taking full advantage of Mark Wood’s reduced pace after the pacer seemed to pick up a knee injury.

In the final phase of the innings, Afghanistan’s batters capitalized on England’s struggles. Zadran took on Archer, hitting three consecutive boundaries and a six, while Mohammad Nabi played an attacking cameo, smashing Joe Root for two sixes. England’s fielding errors and minor injuries to key players, including Liam Livingstone, further helped Afghanistan maximize their total.

Though Livingstone bowled an excellent final over, conceding just two runs and picking up two wickets, Afghanistan had already added 113 runs in the last 10 overs, setting up a competitive total for their bowlers to defend.

Brief Scores

Afghanistan 325/7 in 50 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 177, Mohammad Nabi 40; Jofra Archer 3-64) vs England