Afghanistan showed once again that their progress is not limited to T20 cricket and that they can beat any side in ODIs as well on their day. In what is arguably the most talked-about result of the 2025 Champions Trophy, Afghanistan beat England by eight runs in a thriller in Lahore and India great Sachin Tendulkar has stated that their victories cannot be termed as upsets any more.
Tendulkar made special mention of Ibrahim Zadran, who broke the record for highest score by a batter in the history of the Champions Trophy by smashing 177 off 146 balls, and Azmatullah Omarzai, whose five-wicket haul sealed the deal for Afghanistan. "Afghanistan’s steady and consistent rise in international cricket has been inspiring! You can’t term their wins as upsets anymore, they’ve made this a habit now. A superb century by @IZadran18 and wonderful five-for by @AzmatOmarzay, sealed another memorable win for Afghanistan. Well played!" said Tendulkar in his post on X.
Ibrahim Zadran's 77 off 146 balls took Afghanistan to 325/7. It was looking like England were going to chase it down, with the incredible Joe Root scoring 120 in 111 balls. But then his dismissal to Azmatullah Omarzai triggered an incredible collapse which ended with Afghanistan winning by 8 runs. Omarzai finished with figures of 5/58. It was England's second consecutive defeat in ODIs to Afghanistan and their sixth in a row in the format.
Ibrahim Zadran says Tendulkar means a lot to him and Afghanistan cricket
Zadran reacted to Tendulkar's mention with a post of his own. “What an honour it is to be praised by the very man who inspired generations to pick up the bat @sachin_rt. Your words mean a lot to me and to cricket in Afghanistan. Thank you, sir,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Zadran reacted to Tendulkar's mention with a post of his own. “What an honour it is to be praised by the very man who inspired generations to pick up the bat @sachin_rt. Your words mean a lot to me and to cricket in Afghanistan. Thank you, sir,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Afghanistan were 37/3 at one stage but Zadran went on to put mammoth stands with Hashmatullah Shahidi, Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi. Omarzai also played a pivotal role, first scoring 41 off 31 balls and then picking five big wickets. Three of his victims on the day were Phil Salt, England captain Jos Buttler and centurion Root.