Afghanistan’s innings got off to a horror beginning as England’s Jofra Archer ran through Afghanistan’s top-order. He accounted for Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, and Rahmat Shah, leaving Afghanistan at a daunting 39-3 after the first power play. At the time, Afghanistan appeared to fold under pressure.
Zadran And Shahidi Steady the Ship
However, a strong partnership between opener Ibrahim Zadran and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi began to stabilize the innings. They took Afghanistan to 81-3 after 20 overs on a pitch that was favorable for batting. Despite Shahidi’s departure in the 30th over, Zadran kept the innings moving forward.
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Ibrahim Zadran Shines With A Historic Knock
After achieving a good pace half-century, Zadran, along with Azmatullah Omarzai, began to accelerate the run rate. Zadran brought up his century off 106 balls in the 37th over. It was an outburst of batting after that as he hammered England’s bowlers to every part of the field, ultimately ending on 177 off 145 balls. He got out in the last over while trying to hit the boundary.
Record-Breaking Performance
Zadran’s 177 knock is now the record Champions Trophy score, and also the highest score by an Afghanistan batter in ODIs, breaking his own record of 162. Zadran, aged just 23 years and 76 days, is now the sole player in ODI history to have two scores of over 150 before the age of 24, a feat previously done by England’s Charlotte Edwards and Chris Gayle.
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A New Benchmark
Zadran’s incredible innings places him among a privileged group of batters who have scored 150-plus before the age of 24, and he joins a list of legendary names in cricket. His record-breaking innings is a testament to not just his talent but also Afghanistan’s rise as a force in world cricket.
