Sunil Gavaskar and Wasim Akram Mock England Star for Failing to Open the Batting in Champions Trophy Exit
Sunil Gavaskar and Wasim Akram Mock England Star After Champions Trophy Exit
England suffered a disappointing exit from the Champions Trophy 2025 after failing to chase down a target of 326 set by Afghanistan. The 2019 World Cup champions seemed to be in contention for the majority of the run chase, but frequent wicket losses led to their downfall in the crucial match.
Banter from Cricket Legends
In the aftermath of England’s defeat, cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Wasim Akram took a light-hearted dig at the English team’s batting order, particularly focusing on Adil Rashid, who has 10 first-class centuries to his name. Rashid, who was entrusted with the task of guiding England to victory in the final two overs, could only manage 5 runs off 7 balls.
Wasim Akram jokingly remarked, “Whenever I come in the commentary box, a stat guy keeps repeating that he’s got 11 (10) hundreds. I’m sorry Adil, but you didn’t look like a guy with 11 hundreds.” Sunil Gavaskar joined in the banter by suggesting that Rashid should be opening the batting if he has 11 centuries to his name, questioning his position at No.9 in the batting order.
England’s Reliance on Joe Root
During the chase, England heavily relied on Joe Root, who scored a brilliant 120 off 111 balls. However, the rest of the batting lineup failed to provide substantial support, with no other player managing to cross the 40-run mark. Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler, and Jamie Overton were the next best contributors with scores of 38, 38, and 32 respectively.
Afghanistan’s Impressive Performance
Batting first, Afghanistan overcame a top-order collapse to post a challenging total of 325. Ibrahim Zadran played a remarkable innings, scoring 177 off 146 balls, which became the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history. Azmatullah Omarzai also made significant contributions with both bat and ball, scoring a quickfire 41 off 31 balls and then picking up a crucial five-wicket haul.
In Conclusion
While England’s exit from the Champions Trophy was disappointing for their fans, the banter between Sunil Gavaskar and Wasim Akram added a lighter touch to the post-match analysis. The performance of individual players, such as Joe Root and Adil Rashid, highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of the English team. On the other hand, Afghanistan’s impressive display showcased their potential as a rising cricketing force on the international stage.