Lahore: Afghanistan and England will battle for survival in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as they face off in a crucial group-stage encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Wednesday.

With both teams coming off defeats, Afghanistan against South Africa and England against Australia, the stakes are high in this must-win fixture.

The Champions Trophy's tight scheduling has left little room for recovery, making every match vital. While Afghanistan was completely outplayed in their opening fixture, England suffered a disappointing loss despite posting a formidable 350-run total. Both sides must produce their best cricket to avoid early elimination.

There have been no recent matches between Afghanistan and England, but Afghanistan emerged victorious by 69 runs in their last encounter.

Despite a poor start against South Africa, Afghanistan found some solace in Rahmat Shah’s resilient 90-run knock and Mohammad Nabi’s disciplined bowling (2/51). However, the top order, including Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, must deliver stronger performances.

Rahmat Shah, played a resilient knock of 90 off 92 balls, while Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan contributed with minor cameos. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with a wicket each but proved expensive.

England have made a forced change with Rehan Ahmed replacing the injured Brydon Carse, though Rehan is unlikely to arrive in time for this match. Jamie Overton is expected to fill the void.

For England, Ben Duckett stole the show with a stellar 165 off 143 balls, supported by Joe Root’s steady 68. However, Jos Buttler’s struggles continued with a modest 23. Their bowling unit faltered, with Jofra Archer conceding 82 runs in 10 overs despite picking up a wicket. Liam Livingstone also managed a wicket but proved ineffective in containing the opposition’s scoring.

England will rely on Adil Rashid to contain Afghanistan’s batting, while their pace attack, led by Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, will be key on the Lahore track.

The Gaddafi Stadium surface is expected to be high-scoring, with good bounce for pacers and moderate turn for spinners. Dew is likely to be a factor in the final 20 overs, which may influence the toss decision.

Teams are expected to opt for bowling first, given the advantage chasing sides have had on this venue. With both teams desperate for a win, a high-scoring thriller is on the cards in Lahore.