Afghanistan vs England highlights, Champions Trophy 2025: Afghanistan win by 8 runs; England knocked out

Azmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler, OUT! CAUGHT! Azmatullah Omarzai, the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024 gets the big breakthrough and Jos Buttler has thrown it away. Azmat bowls a heavy bumper over middle and gets the height and line just correct. Buttler looks to take it on but isn't quite in control of the extra bounce and ends up hitting it over square leg. Rahmat Shah comes in from the deep and takes a simple catch as Buttler departs for 38 (42) and England are now 216/5!

Azmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler, On a good length and outside off, Jos Buttler walks across the off stump and looks for the lap but the ball is delivered slower and Buttler misses, wearing it on the pads.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Joe Root, Hard-length delivery, around the top of off, dabbed down into the leg side for a single by Root.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler, Risky single but good running in the end! Good length bowled around off, Buttler punches it straight to covers and sets off for the single. The fielder there has a shy at the bowler's end but just misses and Buttler dives in to safety.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler, Another half-hearted appeal for caught behind from Rahmanullah Gurbaz but the umpire turns it down. A well directed bumper from Azmat, banged in right around the helmet, Buttler takes his eyes off the ball while going for the pull and is beaten. There was a noise but not off the bat.

Rashid Khan to Joe Root, FOUR! Drops it a bit short and Joe Root pounces! Rashid bowls it from well behind the popping crease and drags it short outside off, Root rocks back and swats the pull flat and wide of deep mid-wickt for a boundary.

Rashid Khan to Joe Root, Three dots on the trot and the required rate starting to go up! Nice and full on middle, Joe Root clips it across the line to mid-wicket.

Rashid Khan to Joe Root, Bowled flatter now on off and darting back in, Root goes back in his crease and works it away in front of square leg.

Rashid Khan to Joe Root, Flighted up, on off and middle, Joe Root leans on and flicks it firmly but straight to mid-wicket.

Rashid Khan to Jos Buttler, Full again on off, Buttler stays leg side of the ball and drives it away through mid off for one more.

Rashid Khan to Joe Root, Tossed up, quick and full and around off, Root gets forward and punches it down to long off for a single.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Joe Root, Goes fuller, on the pads, Root lunges and clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single. 

Azmatullah Omarzai to Joe Root, Hard length, around middle, Root stands tall and punches it to mid off.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Joe Root, WIDE! Bangs in short of a length, but down the leg side, slower too, Joe Root ducks under it. 

Azmatullah Omarzai to Joe Root, How has that missed the stumps? An appeal for caught behind from the keeper but is turned down by the umpire. Hard length, around middle, nips back in, stays a touch lower than expected, Joe Root goes for a pull shot but gets deceived by the lack of the bounce. The replays presents that the ball brushes his thigh pad on its way to the keeper. 

Azmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler, On a good length, around off, Jos Buttler goes for a pull shot but gets it through the cue end of the bat to deep square leg for a single.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Joe Root, A bit slower, fuller but on the pads, easy for Root as he leans on and tucks it to deep square leg for a single.

Azmatullah Omarzai (5-0-21-1) is brought back into the attack. Also, Fazalhaq Farooqi can be seen off the field of play and in the dug out and it seems, he is struggling with his fitness. This could be an issue for Afghanistan later on but for now, Farooqi just seems to be sitting and finally, he goes off with the physio to get it checked. It seems to be the right knee probably.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler, Bangs in short of a length, around off, Jos Buttler goes back and looks to pull it but gets a top edge but falls in the safe region towards square leg and the batters run for a single.

Rashid Khan to Jos Buttler, Keeps it shorter, just outside off, Buttler pushes it towards extra cover for a single to end the over.

Rashid Khan to Joe Root, Again shorter, around middle, stays a bit low as well, Joe Root stays on the back and drags it by pulling it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Rashid Khan to Joe Root, Much shorter, around middle, turns in, Joe Root presses back and looks to flick it but misses and gets hit on the pads.

Rashid Khan to Jos Buttler, Similar length, around middle, Buttler goes back and pushes it back to the bowler Rashid Khan who makes a fumble in collecting it and thus the batters get a single.

Rashid Khan to Jos Buttler, 200 comes up for England! Nagging length, outside off, Jos Buttler goes back and cuts it in the gap towards sweeper cover for a couple of runs.

Rashid Khan to Joe Root, Drops it short, around middle, Joe Root goes back, clears out his front leg and pulls it along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Drinks break! Well then, the game is pretty evenly poised and with the fate of both teams hanging in the balance, it will come down to a battle of nerves. It seemed like Afghanistan were bossing things out in the middle but Joe Root has stood firmly at one end and somehow, Jos Buttler has managed to overcome a sedate start. There's still about one-third of the chase to go but if Afghanistan don't pick up wickets soon, Buttler has the ability to just take the game away. An intriguing phase of play coming up...

Noor Ahmad to Joe Root, Short, quicker, outside off, Joe Root goes back and pulls it hard towards long on for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Jos Buttler, Floated up, around leg, Buttler lunges and eases out to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Jos Buttler, Drops it shorter, and outside off, Jos Buttler is quick to go back and slaps it in the gap towards deep cover for a couple of runs.

Noor Ahmad to Joe Root, Tossed up, touch outside off, Root comes forward and pushes it to long off for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Jos Buttler, Much fuller, almost a yorker, around leg, Buttler lunges and drills it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Joe Root, Drops it short, around middle and leg, Joe Root nudges it wide of square leg for a single.

Mohammad Nabi to Jos Buttler, Slower through the air, fuller around off, Jos Buttler uses his feet to get to the pitch of the ball and drills it back to the bowler.

Mohammad Nabi to Joe Root, Similar length, and around middle, Root stays on the back foot and pushes it to long on for a single.

Mohammad Nabi to Joe Root, Nagging length, around off, Root presses back and punches it to cover. 

Mohammad Nabi to Jos Buttler, Drags his length, around off Buttler goes back and clips it wide of mid-wicket for a single.

Mohammad Nabi to Jos Buttler, SIX! OH MY GOODNESS! Nabi gives flight to the ball, pitched up, in the slot, around middle, Jos Buttler goes on his knee and slogs it over cow corner for a biggie. 92 M SIX. 

Mohammad Nabi to Joe Root, Drops it short, slower, around off, Root goes back and pushes it to long on for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Joe Root, Tossed up, around off, Root comes forward and knocks it down to long on for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Joe Root, Nagging length, around middle and leg, Joe Root goes back and looks to flick it but misses and gets hit on the pads. There is a mild appeal for LBW but is turned down.

Noor Ahmad to Jos Buttler, Floated up, outside off, Jos Buttler reverse sweeps it away to deep point for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Joe Root, Tossed up, around off, Root gets a leading edge towards long off as he looks to flick it and gets a single.

Noor Ahmad to Joe Root, Similar length, around middle, Root stays on the back and nudges it wide of mid-wicket and takes a couple of runs as the fielder Mohammad Nabi makes a fumble there.

Noor Ahmad to Joe Root, FOUR! PUNISHED! Noor drops it short and well outside off, a poor ball, Joe Root is quick to go back and absolute thrashes it in the gap towards extra cover for a boundary. 

Mohammad Nabi to Jos Buttler, SIX! Finally, Jos Buttler is able to break free and brings up the first six of the chase! Floated up on the pads, Buttler skips down the pitch and heaves it away well over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 154 needed now in 20 overs!

Mohammad Nabi to Joe Root, Just drags the length back, darting it in at the stumps, Root shows the full face of the bat and punches it down to long on for one.

Mohammad Nabi to Joe Root, Flighted ball, a bit full and around off, Root goes for the reverse sweep but gets an under edge back onto the pads.

Mohammad Nabi to Jos Buttler, Length on middle, Buttler plays it from the crease and turns it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Mohammad Nabi to Joe Root, Good running! Floated up, on a nagging length and on leg, nudged away a bit uppishly and wide of square leg for a quick single.

Mohammad Nabi to Joe Root, On the shorter side and around leg, tucked away towards mid-wicket.