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Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran etched his name in the history books with a sensational knock of 177 off 146 deliveries, the highest individual score in ICC Champions Trophy history. His breathtaking innings surpassed England's Ben Duckett's 165, setting a new benchmark in the tournament. Zadran's heroics powered Afghanistan to a formidable 325/7 in 50 overs against England, laying the foundation for a famous victory.
Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai kept Afghanistan's hopes alive with an eight-run victory and ended England's Champions Trophy campaign in the Group B match at the picturesque Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday. More significantly, Zadran became the first Afghan player to score a century in the ICC Champions Trophy and the first Afghan batter to register a century in any ICC event. His remarkable feat marked a monumental moment for Afghanistan in global cricket. Reflecting on his record-breaking innings and Afghanistan's triumph, Zadran expressed his elation, saying in the post-match presentation, "I was expecting that, I wanted to grab one good catch for the team. Whenever I grabbed it (the winning catch), that feeling was great. It means a lot to me, as much as you work hard, I was having trust on myself and I wanted to keep on batting. That 177 is a special moment for me." The Afghan opener credited his success to meticulous planning and experience from previous matches in Sri Lanka. "We have played here last time in the Asia Cup, so I had the idea. I wanted to take time and play proper cricketing shots, and that worked for me, so I'm happy," he added. The victory over England provided a significant confidence boost for Afghanistan as they head into a crucial clash against Australia. "When you win a game, it gives you a lot of energy and confidence. We will try to play even better in the next game. We will be playing against Australia, so we will try to make as few mistakes as possible. We will have a plan and do our best," Zadran stated. Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi was full of praise for his team's performance, particularly acknowledging Zadran's innings and the resilience shown after an early setback. "As a team, we are happy. Our nation will be happy with this win. Moving on to the next game. We beat them first time in 2023. We are improving day by day. Today was a tense game, but we controlled it well. I am happy with the result," he said. Zadran and Shahidi's crucial partnership helped Afghanistan recover from early blows, ensuring a competitive total on the board. "Zadran is a talented guy. We were three down at the beginning and the pressure was on. The partnership between me and him was crucial. One of the best ODI knocks that I have seen," Shahidi remarked. He also credited Azmatullah Omarzai for his all-round contribution. "Azmat played a good knock. Played with positive intent. He bowled crucial overs as well. We have talented youngsters and some senior guys. Everyone knows their role. Everyone is doing good," he said. Looking ahead to the do-or-die match against Australia, Shahidi emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum. "Hopefully, we will take the momentum to the game versus Australia. It will give us confidence, but it will be a new day. That game will decide who will go to the semis. We will do what is good for us on that day," he added. With this historic win, Afghanistan has once again proven their growing stature in world cricket. As they gear up for their next battle against Australia. (ANI)
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