In a surprising event at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Afghanistan pulled off an unbelievable victory over the champions great defenders England, thus making them out of the tournament. The game played on February 26, Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran was a batting master who played very well, while their bowlers did not lose their cool to wrap up a record win.
Zadran’s incredible innings led Afghanistan to their victory because he did not panic initially and became a determined person for his age. He did the best in attaining a competitive target for the English side with his performance as they were grappling with the Afghan bowling attack.
Even though there was an excellent century from Joe Root, the Englishmen went down in the chase, with the disciplined Afghan bowling being the reason. The defeat was not the only thing that England faced, because it also helped Afghanistan to be in the semifinals and made the whole group stage very exciting with a new unforeseen twist.
The win is a great point in the Afghan cricket development story, and it shows that they are not only good at the domestic level, but they have the international stage as well. This would also serve as a warning signal for England, who will have to take a good look at their future strategy in upcoming tournaments.
However, in other Champions Trophy news, the match between hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh was called off with no play eager to start due to the continuous downpour in Rawalpindi. This cancellation turned out to be the last cup of disappointment for Pakistan as they did not record a single win during their first ICC tournament on home soil in 29 years.
The game between Pakistan and Bangladesh was abandoned, therefore, both teams secured a point and thus, ended their winless streaks in the tournament. The washout is the second in Rawalpindi during this Champions Trophy, following the earlier abandoned match between South Africa and Australia.
The total prize pool of the competition has seen a huge growth, and it is now $6.9 million, a 53% increase from the 2017 edition. The champion gets $2.24 million, and the runner-up gets $1.12 million. Teams placed seventh and eighth will get $140,000 each, while all the teams taking part are entitled to a base amount of $125,000.
In the European football world, Real Madrid managed to score an important 1-0 victory against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey on the 26th of February. The tactical masterclass displayed by Real Madrid at the Reale Arena was the proof of their ambition to go further in the tournament and win another trophy to add to their mind-blowing collection.
The Premier League matches were exciting as Liverpool maintained their title push with a relentless 3-1 win against Newcastle United at Anfield on February 26. Their triumph provides Liverpool with the chance to become the league champions, which is the evidence of their attacking strength and resistance.
Manchester United was not afraid of challenges, and therefore, managed to win the game against Ipswich Town 3-2 in an electrifying match at Old Trafford. The victory sealed the Red Devil’s place and set the pace for their quest for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Manchester City got back in the top four with a hardly won 1-0 victory over Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The success of this match was why City were able to defend the Premier League throne and showed their strength to win the games difficultly in the away venue.
In international football news, Canada in the last days implemented new visa rules that give the possibility of visa amendment or withdrawal for students and workers by border officials. This process may have consequences for foreign athletes and sports professionals who would like to enter Canada for work or to compete in sports events.
The cricket universe is sad now as the news of the departure of former New Zealand player Neil Wagner from international cricket is out. With the end of the career of Wagner, New Zealand cricket also loses one of its greatest achievements since he was the main contributor of pacification and partnership breaking with his fast but aggressive deliveries.
In the world of esports and gaming, The Pokémon Company has said they will be holding a Pokémon Presents live show on February 27 for the anniversary of the franchise in its 29th year. This show has created a buzz among fans around the world, who are still waiting for the
The sporting world is going through the changes, and the countries which are like Azerbaijan and Pakistan are working harder to promote their mutual and strategic ties, which in turn could result in increased sporting collaborations and exchanges in the future. This step has further stressed the emerging role of sports diplomacy in international relations.
The world of sports constitutes the main concern of the entire planet. It contains excitement, motivation as well as unity for all people. The walls between different countries can even be destroyed by this single factor and that people from every corner of the world can unite on the common basis of sports and sportsmanship.