Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Afghanistan's stunning win vs England in 2025 Champions Trophy ft. Sunil Gavaskar

Afghanistan knocked out England from the 2025 Champions Trophy with a thrilling eight-run victory on Wednesday (February 26) in Lahore. The win kept Afghanistan in contention for the semifinal spot as they now have another must-win game against Australia on Friday.

Batting first, Afghanistan were in a spot of bother at 37/3. However, Ibrahim Zadran and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (40) stitched together a 103-run stand to resurrect the team's innings.

Thereafter, Azmatullah Omarzai (41) and Mohammad Nabi (40) were strong supports to Zadran, who played a sensational knock of 177 off 146 balls. As a result, Afghanistan posted a 325-run total.

In response, England were off to a mediocre start, losing two wickets inside the powerplay. Although Joe Root (120) played a credible knock, the other batters failed under pressure, and were all out for 317. With two losses on the trot, the Jos Buttler-led side are out of the race to the semifinal.

On that note, let's take a look at the top expert reactions on Afghanistan's impressive victory over England in the Champions Trophy.

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#1 Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts on Afghanistan's victory on Ten Sports' "Dressing Room" show. While lauding Ibrahim Zadran's knock, Gavaskar also praised the winning mindset of Afghanistan, which helped them prevail over England. He said:

"What a recovery. It's not just about winning a game, how they won the game. They held their nerves till the end, when Joe Root and Jamie Overton were having that partnership, and looked like they might take the game away. But, not for a second, it looked like as if they were down, despite a couple of boundaries. They were calm and had belief in themselves that look we might just need one break and we will be there." (5:49)

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#2 Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar took to his YouTube channel to congratulate Afghanistan for their victory against England. Akhtar lauded Ibrahim Zadran for playing a gutsy knock under pressure. He said:

"I did not want the repeat of 2023 World Cup, where Glenn Maxwell's innings helped Australia to defeat Afghanistan. Joe Root played well to score runs against quality spinners, but Zadran you were fabulous with a knock of 150+ and the guts you showed under pressure."

Further, Shoaib Akhtar hoped that Afghanistan would ace their next challenge against Australia and reach the semifinals. He said:

"I wanted Afghanistan to win because I believe they are in a difficult group. I hope they win the next game and qualify for the semifinals. The intent and maturity which you are showing, you deserve a round of applause. This is how you play cricket, with passion and the interest you have generated among the youth of your country."

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#3 Nikhil Chopra

In an interaction on Ten Sports' "Dressing Room" show, former Indian spinner Nikhil Chopra lauded Afghanistan tweakers, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, and Noor Ahmad for their exceptional performances.

When the host asked Chopra about Afghanistan spinners bowling 18 consecutive overs and controlling the game, Chopra said:

"When Rashid or Noor are bowling with Nabi, the pressure is from both ends. Although, Joe Root scored a century, Noor kept him quiet with his tight lengths. There were no runs coming from the other end as well, which took the game deep."

With Wasim Akram asking how difficult it would have been for spinners with a wet ball, Nikhil Chopra said:

"Whether it's finger or wrist spinner, it gets very hard for them to control the ball when the seam is wet. Credit to Mohammad Nabi, he was bowling with so much control in difficult circumstances. The loop was quite visible with his balls, which shows that he must have practised quite well with the wet ball."

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#4 Shoaib Malik

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik appeared in a post-match analysis on PTV Sports. Malik lauded Ibrahim Zadran and the middle-order batters for helping Afghanistan to post a strong total.

"Congratulations to Afghanistan for a victory against a big team like England. Remarkable innings from Ibrahim Zadran, he has that quality. In the middle-order, they had three 40s as well, which ensured Afghanistan reach a good enough total," he said. (0:44)

Shoaib Malik noted the time when Afghanistan players showed their desperation to win the game and even got angry at each other for conceding runs at a crucial stage. However, he feels the unity among the team and a desire to do better each time helped them to end on a winning note.

"There came a point in the game where the smaller teams give up. But, they made sure they fight till the end. The unity in the team was also visible, where they were backing and at the same were angry with each other. Even if someone was facing the wrath of another player, there was no ego and were making sure to do better the next time," he added. (1:57)

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#5 Mohammad Hafeez

In the aforementioned interaction on PTV Sports, former Pakistan batter Mohammad Hafeez lauded the passion of the Afghanistan side, which has resulted in them inspiring the youngsters of their country. He said:

"They are proving themselves as the second-best team in the subcontinent by winning the matches. In the 2023 World Cup as well, they beat England and Pakistan. In the Champions Trophy, they are showing their passion to do well for their country. They want to inspire the whole nation, because their only key to happiness is cricket." (3:34)

Further, Hafeez thinks Ibrahim Zadran's innings was a 'complete package', where he showed his maturity to play as per the situation. He also praised Azmatullah Omarzai for rising to the occasion in both departments:

"Their players are learning and growing, and are playing much better knocks than a player of a big team. Zadran's innings was a complete package, where he displayed anchorship, aggression and power-hitting. In the same way, Omarzai produced impressive performances. He scored 40+ runs with the full responsibility and whenever the captain gave him the ball, he brought something for the team." (4:34)