Afghanistan eliminates England from Champions Trophy in upset

England has been eliminated from the ICC Champions Trophy following an intense eight-run defeat to Afghanistan in Lahore. Despite Joe Root's commendable 120 runs, England's chase fell short of the target of 326, finishing at 317 all out with a ball remaining. Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 177 runs, the highest in Champions Trophy history, and helped his team reach 325-7. England's batting lineup struggled, with key wickets falling at crucial moments, and they ultimately could not capitalize on a strong start that saw Afghanistan at 37-3 early in their innings. This loss marks England's second defeat in the tournament, raising serious questions about the future of captain Jos Buttler and the team's current form, which has seen 18 losses in 25 matches since the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Afghanistan must now defeat Australia in their final group match to keep their hopes of progressing alive.