 "Champions Trophy 2025: England knocked out after 8-run defeat against Afghanistan; Netizens spark meme fest")
synopsis
The Group B match between England and Afghanistan was crucial for both teams in order to stay alive in the Champions Trophy 2025.
England’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign officially came to an end after an eight-run defeat against England in the Group B match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday, February 26.
With a target of 326, England were bundled out for 317 in 49.5 overs. Joe Root was the star performer for The Three Lions as he ended his five-year ODI century drought and scored 120 off 111 balls. However, the 34-year-old’s incredible effort went in vain as his dismissal eventually resulted in England falling 9-run short of achieving the target set by Afghanistan. Jamie Overton chipped in with a valiant innings of 32 off 28 balls, but his efforts were not enough to take the team over the line as Afghanistan held their nerve to secure a victory.
For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai led the bowling attack as he scalped five wickets while conceding 58 runs at an economy rate of 5.90 in 9.5 overs. Mohammad Nabi chipped in by taking two wickets, while Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan picked a wicket.
The Group B match between England and Afghanistan was crucial for both teams in order to stay alive in the Champions Trophy 2025. England lost their opening match against Australia by five wickets in Lahore, while Afghanistan were defeated by South Africa by 107 runs in Karachi. In the do-or-die match, it was Afghanistan who held their nerve and delivered a spirited performance to eliminate England from the tournament and keep their semi-final hopes alive.
England were one of the hot favourites to win the Champions Trophy, alongside India, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia. However, Jos Buttler-led side’s early exit from the marquee event left experts and fans left stunned, sparking debates over their decline in ODI format after Eoin Morgan relinquished captaincy duties before retiring from professional career.
As soon as England knocked out of the tournament, the fans trolled the team The Three Lions and sparked a meme fest on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter). Taking to their X handle (formerly Twitter), Indian cricket fans shared hilarious memes, jokes, and reactions highlighting England’s early exit from the tournament.
Here’s how netizens reacted to England’s exit from Champions Trophy 2025
England were no strangers to defeat at the hands of Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy 2025. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, England were stunned by Afghanistan with a 69-run defeat at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. England were completely outplayed in all departments as Afghanistan’s spinners dismantled their batting lineup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament.
After winning the T20 World Cup 2022, England did not win a single ICC title. In the ODI World Cup 2023, The Three Lions suffered an early exit from the tournament as the defending champions, finishing seventh in the league stage. In the T20 World Cup 2024, England failed to defend their triumph as they lost to eventual champions in the semifinal. The latest being their shocking exit from the Champions Trophy 2025, marking yet another disappointing campaign in the ICC tournament, raising concerns over England’s future in the 50-over format.
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