On Wednesday, February 26, Afghanistan’s opener Ibrahim Zadran scored an incredible 177 against England in the Champions Trophy 2025, setting a new ODI record. At the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the right-handed batter displayed his exceptional talent while exuding dignity.
Afghanistan lost three wickets in the first nine overs, putting them in a precarious position throughout the match. But while Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mohammad Nabi provided him with great support, Zadran stood firm from one end.
After facing 106 balls, Zadran reached his century in the 37th over. The 23-year-old destroyed the English bowlers with 77 runs in the following 39 deliveries. Afghanistan amassed a dominant 325/7 in their 50 overs thanks to his knock.
Ibrahim Zadran broke his own record of 162 against Sri Lanka with his knock,
Which is the greatest score in Champions Trophy history and the best ever by an Afghanistan hitter in ODIs. He is currently the first player in ODI history to record two 150-plus innings before turning 24, despite just being 23 years and 76 days old. This demonstrates his capacity to turn starts into significant scores.
In a 1997 match against Ireland, England’s Charlotte Edwards became the first player to reach 150 or more in an ODI before turning 24. Nearly four years later, the first guy to accomplish so was Chris Gayle, a legend of the West Indies. Amelia Kerr’s 232 versus Ireland in 2018 is the greatest score by anyone at her age.
After early strikes, Joe Root and Ben Duckett revive the England innings.
To get the first blood for the Blue Tigers, Omarzai took out Phil Salt in the fourth over. In the seventh over, skipper Shahidi added spin, and it quickly paid off. As England fell to 30/2, Nabi got rid of Jamie Smith with his first bowl.
Together, Joe Root and Ben Duckett steadied the ship for the side captained by Jos Buttler. Although they have already established a connection that spans fifty years, much more needs to be done.