Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran gave a historic performance in a do-or-die encounter against England in the Champions Trophy 2025 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Having chosen to bat first, Afghanistan fared poorly initially as England’s Jofra Archer dismantled their top order with a scorching spell in the powerplay. But Zadran then played an incredible knock to shift the balance for his side, scoring a record-breaking century.
Ibrahim Zadran 🙏
Watch the best from Afghanistan’s first century in the #ChampionsTrophy!#AFGvENG ✍️: https://t.co/6IQekpiozs pic.twitter.com/eYR9fm7Li3
— ICC (@ICC) February 26, 2025
Ibrahim Zadran Etches His Name in History
Zadran’s century is a historic moment for Afghanistan since it represents the country’s first hundred in Champions Trophy history. The dashing batter had scored a century in a similar performance during the 2023 ODI World Cup against Australia, where he scored Afghanistan’s first century in the tournament. With this innings, Zadran is now the only player to have his country’s first hundred in both the ODI World Cup and the Champions Trophy.
Second 150+ score in the #ChampionsTrophy and it’s Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran punching it 👊#AFGvENG ✍️: https://t.co/6IQekpiozs pic.twitter.com/E0Jurd7p0h
— ICC (@ICC) February 26, 2025
The century is Zadran’s sixth in ODIs as well, making him Afghanistan’s joint second-highest scorer of centuries with Mohammad Shahzad. He now stands behind Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who has also scored six ODI centuries.
Zadran’s century was the 10th century of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which tied the record for most hundreds in one edition of the tournament. With seven games remaining to be played, this record will likely be broken.
Decisive Partnerships Drive Afghanistan’s Resurgence
Zadran opened the innings, watching his partners depart rapidly in the powerplay as Jofra Archer sent back Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, and Rahmat Shah in a row. But the Afghan batsman proved solidity as he held the innings together with two important partnerships.
Initially, Zadran added a 103-run fourth-wicket stand with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and steadied the innings after a nervous beginning. Then he joined hands with Azmatullah Omarzai for a rampant 81-run fifth-wicket stand and pushed Afghanistan past a gallant score towards a decent total, keeping the 300 mark in the mix.
With the historical voice of Zadran, Afghanistan has sent a very strong message towards their Champions Trophy journey, registering an astonishing game against England. His performance, as the tournament unfolds, will be the key to whether Afghanistan can advance further.
