Afghanistan vs England-Champions Trophy 2025 Live Scores – Ibrahim Zadran's Resolute Fifty In The Aftermath Of Afghanistan's Struggle

The highly anticipated Group B contest of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 between England and Afghanistan is being held live at the legendary Lahore stadium Gaddafi. Afghanistan, having won the toss and decided to bat, have posted attacking scores with an aim to build a scrap-up total on the scoreboard. England bowlers have mounted pressure that's hard to cope with for Afghan batsmen.

Early Setbacks for Afghanistan

The match also started on a blazing note due to a ferocious spell by England's top pacer Jofra Archer, who removed two in an over and dismantled Afghanistan's top order in the early overs. Sediqullah Atal and Rahmanullah Gurbaz were dismissed cheaply in the fifth over, leaving Afghanistan under unimaginable pressure as early as it was. The fast aggressive pace and aggressive bounce by Archer unsettled the batsmen, and run-scoring became a task.

All these initial disappointments notwithstanding, Afghanistan stuck to their old-fashioned style, trying to lay some foundation for the innings. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi also showed some grit but could not make use of it, getting caught by leg-spinner Adil Rashid after having scored a modest score. The loss of the three early wickets in a hurry had left Afghanistan on the back foot, having no choice but to concentrate on the recovery of the innings instead of playing hard for a high scoring rate.

Ibrahim Zadran Steers the Ship

In Afghanistan's fight, opener Ibrahim Zadran proved his temperament and skill by scoring a well-crafted half-century. His performance was characterized by patience and right shots, which kept Afghanistan from being targeted by more collapses. Having faced 85 balls, Zadran built 83 runs in calm fashion, forming key partnerships to keep hopes alive in his side.

But the absence of boundaries in the middle overs has been a concern. England's bowlers might have been able to keep tight lines and lengths, but Afghanistan's scoring rate has been more or less five runs per over. This part of the game would turn out to be decisive as Afghanistan would try to increase the scoring rate in the latter half of the innings.

England's Masterstroke Tactical Bowling Plan

England, realizing the enormity of this match, made a change of only one member in their XI and that was bringing in injured Brydon Carse's replacement, Jamie Overton. The decision proved to be a masterstroke because England's bowling unit played a game of perfection.

Show star Jofra Archer has claimed three wickets for his over, unleashing unholy pace and accuracy on the Afghan batsmen. Even Adil Rashid has risen to the challenge, claiming that key wicket while controlling run flow through varying degrees of spin.

With the match reaching the 31st over, Afghanistan is at 146 for 4, and Azmatullah Omarzai comes in to join Zadran at the crease. The responsibility now rests with these batsmen to take the score to over 250, which may prove a challenging target for England's batting lineup later during the game.

High Stakes for Both Teams

This is a virtual knock-out for both sides as the losing side will be knocked out of the tournament. With the margin being that small, no team is taking anything for granted in their attempts to win. Afghanistan, with their slow beginning, will be looking for a late rush of runs in the second half of the innings, while England will be looking to hold on to their control over the game.

And as the game goes on, everyone will be looking at how Afghanistan will go about the rest of the innings of their team and whether England is able to keep them at a distance that can be stalked. Stay tuned for more updates of this gripping battle of bat and ball of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025!