Match prediction for Afghanistan vs England Match 8 in Lahore.
The last time these two teams met, Afghanistan had stunned England in the 2023 World Cup. They will go again in this crucial Group B fixture of the Champions Trophy 2025 on Wednesday, February 26. The match will take place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with the action set to begin at 2:30 PM IST.
Check out our analysis for the AFG vs ENG match with the top betting tips and predictions.
Here are some of the best bets for this Afghanistan vs England match.
Joe Root is the best English batter against spin and he will key in this game with Afghanistan being spin heavy. He looked in good touch in the previous game, scoring 68 runs. Back him to be the top run-getter for England.
England are known for their aggressive gameplay and instinct of going for big shots. They have Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, who are excellent six-hitters.
Rashid Khan is one of the best in the business and should be a big threat at Lahore, where spinners did well in the last game. He has 15 wickets in his last seven ODIs at a strike rate of 25.4 and economy of 3.87.
Pitches at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore have historically been pretty good for batting. Bowlers don’t get a great amount of assistance here. In the previous game between England and Australia, which saw over 700 runs, spinners were able to keep things quiet but pacers travelled. The team batting first has scored more than 300 in six out of previous nine ODIs.
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There have been only three encounters between these two sides in the fifty-over format. England won twice while Afghanistan clinched the last game by 69 runs.
Afghanistan were thoroughly outplayed by South Africa in their opening clash of the tournament in Karachi. Bowling first, they were unable to make enough inroads as the Proteas went on to post 315. Chasing a big target, Afghanistan lost four wickets with just 50 on the board. Rahmat Shah scored a fighting 90 but all it could do was reduce the margin of the defeat.
Possible XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad
England’s poor form continued as they lost the first game of the tournament to Australia. Ben Duckett carried the batting innings with an outstanding 165 off 143 deliveries while Joe Root supported him with 68. The lower middle order, however, failed to provide them a needed finish. Defending 351, England removed Travis Head and Steve Smith early and later reduced the rivals to 122/4. Adil Rashid was brilliant with his 1 for 47 but the ineffectiveness of fast bowlers cost them the game.
Possible XI: Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Check out the details of where to watch the Afghanistan vs England Champions Trophy 2025 match.
There was a good amount of dew in the second innings of the Australia vs England game, which could prompt teams to chase. Expect the toss winner to opt to field first.
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup and favourites to get a better picture of the match.
The weather forecast suggests it could be mostly cloudy in Lahore on Wednesday afternoon and evening. There is over 90% cloud cover expected but with the radar showing less than 5% chance of precipitation, rain should not be a concern. There will be high humidity at around 85%. The temperature is likely to range between 17 to 24 degree Celsius.
The bookmakers have England as heavy favourites heading into this match with a 78% chance of winning.
Given England’s struggles against spin, this match could be a nightmare for them. Joe Root will be a key figure for England and his battle against Rashid Khan could be interesting.
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