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Afghanistan are facing off against England in a must-win clash at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in the Champions Trophy 2025. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Afghanistan found themselves in early trouble, courtesy of Jofra Archer’s fiery opening spell. The English pacer rattled the Afghan top order, picking up three quick wickets in the powerplay.
However, Afghanistan have made a remarkable comeback, and it is all thanks to their batting sensation Ibrahim Zadran, who has now etched his name into the history books with a stunning knock.
Ibrahim Zadran’s Record-Breaking Knock
First Afghan to Score a Century in Champions Trophy History
Zadran turned the tide for Afghanistan with a brilliant century, marking Afghanistan’s first-ever ton in Champions Trophy history.
First Player to Score Afghanistan’s Maiden Century in Both the ODI World Cup & Champions Trophy
Zadran previously made history by scoring Afghanistan’s first-ever ODI World Cup century against Australia in 2023. With his ton against England, he becomes the first cricketer in history to achieve this feat in both tournaments.
Highest Individual Score in Champions Trophy History
Zadran was eventually dismissed for 177, breaking Ben Duckett’s record to register the highest-ever individual score in the history of the Champions Trophy.
Joint-Second Most Centuries for Afghanistan in ODIs
With this being his sixth ODI century, Zadran has now equaled Mohammad Shahzad’s tally to become Afghanistan’s joint second-highest century-maker. He is now just one ton away from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (7 centuries), who holds the record for Afghanistan.
Champions Trophy 2025 Reaches New Milestone
Zadran’s century was the 10th hundred of the 2025 Champions Trophy, equaling the record for most hundreds in a single edition. With seven matches still to be played, this record is almost certain to be broken.
Zadran’s Key Partnerships – Rescuing Afghanistan from Collapse
Afghanistan’s innings got off to a disastrous start, with Jofra Archer dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, and Rahmat Shah in quick succession. With Afghanistan reeling at 3 down, Zadran stepped up to steer the innings back on track.
103-run stand with Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (4th Wicket)
- Helped stabilize Afghanistan’s innings after early setbacks.
81-run explosive partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai (5th Wicket)
- Shifted momentum in Afghanistan’s favor as they aimed for a 300+ total.
What’s Next?
With Zadran’s heroics, Afghanistan are now in a strong position to challenge England. If their bowlers can back up this record-breaking innings, Afghanistan could pull off a famous win in the Champions Trophy 2025.
