On a sluggish pitch, Atal anchored the innings after early setbacks, but it was Omarzai's fearless fireworks that turned the tide late in the innings
Star Sports 2 HD/SD will live telecast the AFG vs AUS match in India with English commentary, while Sports 18 1 HD/SD will telecast it with Hindi commentary.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
The pitch at Gaddafi Stadium is known for favoring batters, which could lead to a high-scoring game. Winning the toss and opting to bat first might be a strategic move.
JioHotstar in India will stream the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match between Afghanistan and Australia on their app and website.
This is Afghanistan's first appearance in the ICC Champions Trophy as they hope to write new chapters of history for themselves in the marquee tournament.
For Australia, a win would guarantee their place in the semifinals and eliminate Afghanistan from contention with a game remaining in the group stage.
Eyeing a semifinal spot, Australia's historic pedigree in cricket's biggest tournaments will count for nothing when they run into an Afghanistan side that is fast cementing its place in the game's top table, in the Champions Trophy here on Friday. Basking in the afterglow of their memorable win over England at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday, Afghanistan have a realistic chance of making their second successive semifinals of a global event, less than a year after their entry into the last four stage of the T20 World Cup in the Americas. On the other hand, a win for Australia will secure their passage to the semifinals of the tournament while eliminating Afghanistan with a game to spare. However, it is easier said than done. For one, for all their firepower in batting, Australia are without their three leading fast bowlers in Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. The trio's absence was felt as England racked up a 350-plus total in their tournament opener before the Aussie
AFG vs ENG HIGHLIGHTS: Ibrahim Zadran historic 177 runs innings worked the trick as Afghanistan lived to see another day in ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Both the semifinal spots from Group B of the ICC Champions Trophy are still up for grabs
Afghanistan will be looking to spring another upset against the Three Lions on February 26 as the battle for the final four intensifies in Group B.
If England chase down the target set by Afghanistan, it will be the third-highest successful run chase at this venue
The two sides have had similar experiences in Group B, with both suffering defeats in their opening matches.
England vs Afghanistan Playing 11: England have made a forced change, with all-rounder Brydon Carse ruled out due to injury. He has been replaced by Jamie Overton
The previous best score for Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy was by Rahmat Shah, who scored 90 runs against South Africa.
Conditions in Lahore are expected to be slightly cooler than the first match there as a little chance of rain is also around the ground.
England captain Jos Buttler says he and his teammates are saddened by the plight of women in Afghanistan but have decided to play the side from the Taliban-ruled country as sport offers hope in tough times. The Taliban took over the reins of Afghanistan in 2021 and banned women's sports besides restricting their access to education and work. Last month, a group of British lawmakers had urged the England cricket team to boycott the Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan as a sign of protest against the treatment meted out to women in the country. On the eve of the game, Buttler was asked what made him and his team comfortable to go ahead with the game. "I'm taking a lot of advice from lots of experts. I think credit must go to Rob Key and the ECB they've been very, very good at supporting me and all the players and giving us information and education around this and making it an ECB decision," said Buttler. "We're very saddened by the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan
Afghanistan vs England Playing 11: England made one forced change in their playing 11 while Afghanistan remained unchanged from the previous match.
Both sides have met thrice in the ODI World Cups with England having a slight advantage over the Afghans, winning 2 of the 3 matches played over the years.
Afghanistan men's cricket team captain Hashmatullah Shahidi made it clear on Tuesday that women in his country should be allowed to play the game though he said it was beyond his control in a nation governed by strict religious laws. The Taliban took over the reins of Afghanistan in 2021 and banned women's sports, including cricket. "Yeah, everyone likes to see everyone play," Shahid told the media here when asked if the exiled Afghanistan women's team should be allowed to play the game. "As I said before, when it comes to politics and those things which we cannot control - we are only cricket players we can control things in the ground and we belong to the ground and we are always trying to give our best when we play." Several Afghan women's team cricketers shifted base to Australia following the turmoil in their country. A group of British lawmakers have also reportedly urged the England cricket team to boycott the Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan. Asked if such a c