England got an early breakthrough in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash against Afghanistan as Jofra Archer dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for just 7 runs off 15 balls. The Afghan opener struggled against the pace and movement of Archer before finally losing his wicket in the fifth over.
Archer’s Breakthrough Dismissal
Bowling at 139.1 km/h, Archer delivered a full-length inswinger outside off, which Gurbaz attempted to drive through the covers. However, his minimal foot movement led to an inside edge, sending the ball crashing into the leg-stump. The replay showed that the ball deflected off the back pad before hitting the stumps, sealing the dismissal.
Gurbaz, who has been a key player at the top for Afghanistan, was constantly tested by Archer’s extra pace and back-of-a-length deliveries. His inability to move his front foot towards the line of the ball proved costly, and he was left rooted to the crease, paying the price for his misjudgment.
Earlier in the Match
Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi emphasizing that the pitch might slow down in the second innings, which could assist spinners. Meanwhile, England captain Jos Buttler revealed that his team would have also preferred batting first despite successfully chasing a big total against Australia in their previous match.
England made one change, with Jamie Overton replacing Brydon Carse, who was ruled out due to injury. Afghanistan, on the other hand, stuck with their unchanged playing XI.
Playing XIs for AFG vs ENG
England: Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
With Gurbaz falling early, Afghanistan will need a strong middle-order performance to set up a competitive total, while England will look to capitalize on their early breakthrough and put pressure on the Afghan batting lineup.