Ibrahim Zadran Becomes the First Afghan Player to Score a Century in ICC Champions Trophy

Ibrahim Zadran etched his name in the history books with a stunning century against England in Lahore, becoming the first Afghan player to hit a ton in the Champions Trophy. Before his record-breaking knock, Rahmat Shah held the best individual score for Afghanistan in the tournament with 90 against South Africa in their debut match.

Zadran’s brilliant innings saw him face 106 balls, smashing six fours and three sixes along the way. He built a crucial 103-run stand with Hashmatullah Shahidi, who chipped in with a steady 40 off 67 deliveries. With this latest milestone, Zadran now has six ODI centuries, just two behind Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who leads with eight. The young opener has been a rock for Afghanistan’s batting lineup, boasting an impressive average of 48.38. His ability to deliver big knocks is proving vital as Afghanistan looks to establish itself on the global stage. 

TAKE A BOW, IBRAHIM ZADRAN #ChampionsTrophy2025 #IbrahimZadran #AFGvsENG pic.twitter.com/g3OdZy6X0X

— ScoreWaves (@ScoreWaves) February 26, 2025

Despite Ibrahim Zadran’s heroics, Afghanistan’s Champions Trophy campaign has been anything but smooth. Their tournament debut got off to a rough start with a heavy 107-run defeat to South Africa. Ryan Rickelton’s maiden ODI century in Karachi exposed Afghanistan’s weaknesses with both bat and ball. But with players like Zadran stepping up, they’ll be hoping to turn things around and make a statement in this global tournament. 

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