LAHORE – Afghanistan defeated England by 8 runs in the vital Group B clash at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Afghanistan posted 325/7 in their 50 overs against England.
Ibrahim Zadran shone with a brilliant 177 off 146 balls, hitting 12 fours and 6 sixes. Azmatullah Omarzai scored 41, while captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi added 40 runs each.
After winning the toss, Afghanistan opted to bat but struggled early, losing three wickets for just 37 runs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (6), Sediqullah Atal (4), and Rahmat Shah (4) were all dismissed by Jofra Archer.
Ibrahim Zadran and Hashmatullah Shahidi then steadied the innings with a crucial 103-run partnership. Shahidi fell for 40 with the score at 140, and Omarzai departed for 41 at 212.
In the final over, Zadran (177) and Nabi (40) were caught out.
For England, Jofra Archer took 3 wickets, Liam Livingstone grabbed 2, while Adil Rashid and Jamie Overton claimed one each.
In reply, England bowled our for 317 runs. Root scored 120 runs and failed to get his side over the line.
