Champions Trophy: England knocked out after Afghanistan earn thrilling eight-run victory in must-win match

England have been dumped out of the ICC Champions Trophy after struggling a dramatic eight-run defeat to Afghanistan in an efficient eliminator between the perimeters in Lahore.

Chasing 326 to win, Joe Root struck an outstanding 120 off 111 balls as, regardless of wickets tumbling at common intervals, England flirted on quite a few events with a victory that will maintain their event alive.

However Root, cramping up late within the innings, fell within the forty sixth over, whereas Jamie Overton (32 off 28) nor Jofra Archer (14 off 8) might see the facet over the road – no boundary scored within the closing 15 deliveries as England have been bowled out for 317 with one ball remaining.

Afghanistan’s victory owes an awesome deal to the sensational performances of quick bowler Azmatullah Omarzai (5-58) and opener Ibrahim Zadran, who hit an impressive 177 off 146 balls to set a brand new Champions Trophy and Afghanistan ODI document.

Ibrahim’s knock rescued his facet from 37-3 after a devastating opening burst by Archer (3-64), with a banged-up England bowling assault – simply as of their opening defeat in opposition to Australia – then struggling to benefit from these early inroads and include Afghanistan because the innings progressed.

Mark Wooden injured his knee and appears set to observe Brydon Carse on an early flight dwelling, whereas Liam Livingstone additionally left the sector late within the innings however did return to take a few wickets and would bat.

England’s conflict with Afghanistan had been marked on the calendar for a while, with a possible boycott by Jos Buttler’s facet debated in response to Taliban rule within the nation, however as soon as it went forward, the must-win nature of the matchup for each side solely added to the spectacle.

Regardless of having gained the toss, Afghanistan struggled with the bat early on, Archer claiming his fiftieth ODI wicket when bowling Rahmanullah Gurbaz (6) off an inside edge, earlier than including Sediqullah Atal (4) and Rahmat Shah (4) in a powerful opening spell.

On the different finish, nonetheless, Wooden (0-50) went down in his fourth over, and although he returned to bowl an extra 4 after leaving the sector for some remedy, he regarded restricted and troubled all through.

That left an already-stretched bowling assault including additional workload but once more to the likes of Livingstone (2-28) and Root (0-47), whereas Overton (1-72) – into the facet rather than Carse – proved costly, as did Archer because the Afghanistan innings progressed.

Ibrahim placed on 103 for the fourth wicket with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (40), whereas Azmatullah (41 off 31) and Mohammad Nabi (40 off 24) got here up with very important contributions.

Ibrahim went via to his sixth ODI century within the thirty seventh over of the innings, earlier than carnage ensured, Wooden’s subsequent over costing 18, earlier than 113 was smashed from the ultimate 10 – one Archer over going for 20 and a Root effort for 23 as England started to collapse within the subject.

Afghanistan breezed past 300, Ibrahim breaking Ben Duckett’s prior Champions Trophy document rating of 165 within the course of, set in opposition to Australia solely 4 days prior, and England – winless of their prior 5 ODIs and with just one victory in eight – instantly regarded proper up in opposition to it.

Their Champions Trophy hopes regarded much more flimsy when shortly lowered to 30-2 inside the opening seven overs of their run-chase.

Phil Salt’s keep was once more all too transient, clean-bowled for 12 by Azmatullah, whereas Jamie Smith (9) was too desperate to take the aggressive choice, perishing to Nabi’s first ball when skewing a thick edge to backward level.

England’s in-form pair of Duckett and Root set about rebuilding the innings however, after benefitting from an enormous stroke of luck when dropped on 30 by Hashmatullah – a sitter put down at mid-off – Duckett (38) departed lbw to Rashid Khan (1-66) after a wisely-used DRS assessment.

The badly out-of-nick Harry Brook (25) struck a number of encouraging boundaries earlier than succumbing to an ugly-looking caught-and-bowled dismissal off Nabi (2-57), chipping again the best of grabs.

Below-fire skipper Buttler seemed to be carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders when scratching his approach to 11 off his first 23 deliveries – lucky to outlive an excellent tight lbw shout in opposition to Nabi on ‘umpire’s name’ when on 9 – earlier than a primary six of the innings appeared to free him up.

Root went serenely via to a run-a-ball fifty on the different finish, the pair placing on 83 for the fifth wicket to seemingly have England within the ascendency with 112 wanted off the ultimate 14 overs.

However Buttler (38) and Livingstone (10) departed in fast succession in yet one more twist, and although Root went via to an impressive seventeenth ODI hundred, his wicket – gloving Azmatullah behind – was all the time prone to show decisive, and so it proved.

‘Am I a part of the issue or the answer?’ – Buttler on captaincy

England’s captain Jos Buttler:

“I do not need to say any emotional statements proper now, however for myself and the fellows on the prime, we should always take into account all potentialities.

“I’m really disappointed to lose the game and be out of the tournament. A confident team would’ve romped home tonight, that’s the way sport goes sometimes.

“It is onerous work and perseverance to alter that. Sadly, that is the one factor you are able to do. There aren’t many different choices.

“The talent is there in the dressing room. The young guys will go on to have great careers. English white-ball cricket needs to get back to the way it was.

“I’ve loved it [the captaincy] I benefit from the problem however I do not take pleasure in dropping video games of cricket. When it does not go your method you look within the mirror and ask when you’re a part of the issue or the answer.”

[Buttler on why his form is down]: “If I knew, I most likely would not be enjoying the best way I’m. I do not really feel distant from my finest.

“I am one of the best players in the world and it’s disappointing when you’re not reaching that level.”

Hussain: It is time for Buttler to maneuver on

Sky Sports activities’ Nasser Hussain:

“In the event you’re having to think about all choices, then the choice is to let it go.

“It can be the most difficult thing to do, I like Buttler as a human being, he’s a very likable young man, he’s popular with everyone who has played the game with him, but that’s not his job.

“If he is saying there may be numerous expertise within the dressing room however the outcomes have fallen off – they went out within the group stage of the 50-over World Cup and the Champions Trophy, and so they have misplaced their final 4 bilateral collection – and his kind has diminished, I dont suppose it sits comfortably on his shoulders.

“I’ve never looked at Buttler and thought ‘wow, what a leader’. He doesn’t have that presence in the field that an Eoin Morgan had… which is a bad comparison because you’re talking about England’s greatest ever white-ball captain and he was a hard act to follow.

“So far as captaincy goes, I do not suppose Buttler has added that a lot to this England workforce, but it surely’s taken away from his batting.

“I think it’s time to move on.”

What’s subsequent?

We enter into the ultimate set of group-stage fixtures, beginning with the Group A lifeless rubber between the already-eliminated Pakistan and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

In Group B, Afghanistan are then again in motion in Lahore on Friday, going through Australia, whereas England spherical off their event in opposition to semi-final chasing South Africa in Karachi on Saturday.

India and New Zealand then battle it out for prime spot in Group A in Dubai on Sunday – all video games dwell on Sky Sports activities Cricket from 8.30am, forward of play beginning at 9am UK time.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 – outcomes and fixtures 🏏

Group A

Group B

Semi-finals

• March 4: Semi-final – A1 v B2 (Dubai)
• March 5: Semi-final 2 – A2 v B1 (Lahore)

Last

• March 9: Last (Lahore or Dubai)

Watch each match from the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, as much as and together with the ultimate on March 9, dwell on Sky Sports activities, or stream with NOW.