Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey

The 8th match of the 2025 Champions Trophy (CT) has a lot riding on it. The washout between Australia and South Africa on Tuesday makes this a knockout match, with the losing side officially eliminated from the tournament.

Victory, however, puts the winner right in the mix for a semi-finals berth. Afghanistan would have been disappointed with their performance against South Africa, as batting first remains their biggest strength. They come up against England, whom they beat comfortably by 69 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Onto Jos Buttler’s team. At one point in the second innings against Australia, England had an 81% chance of winning. It all slipped away so quickly as Josh Inglis, Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell exposed the flaws in the bowling attack. Also, England must finish better with the bat as 380+ looked on the cards on a flat Lahore pitch.

In this article, we will look at the possible XIs, Lahore pitch report, Fantasy Cricket Tips and Dream11 Prediction for this crucial encounter.

CT 2025 8th Match: AFG vs ENG Possible Playing XIs

Afghanistan may stick with the same XI that went down to South Africa.

Afghanistan: 1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2. Ibrahim Zadran, 3. Sediqullah Atal, 4. Rahmat Shah, 5. Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), 6. Azmatullah Omarzai, 7. Mohammad Nabi, 8. Gulbadin Naib, 9. Rashid Khan, 10. Noor Ahmad/Nangeyalia Kharote, 11. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Brydon Carse is out of the tournament due to a toe injury. Legspinner Rehan Ahmed has been named as his replacement in the squad. However, England may bring Saqib Mahmood in the XI. Also, Jofra Archer seemed to be struggling with cramp in the Australia match.

England: 1. Ben Duckett, 2. Phil Salt, 3. Jamie Smith (wk), 4. Joe Root, 5. Harry Brook, 6. Jos Buttler (c), 7. Liam Livingstone, 8. Jofra Archer, 9. Saqib Mahmood, 10. Mark Wood, 11. Adil Rashid

Gaddafi Stadium Lahore Pitch Report and Weather

It was a magnificent batting track in Lahore on Saturday as Australia chased 352 against England with 15 balls to spare. Expect another excellent surface for batting again.

But, dew could play a factor, which will make things interesting at the toss. Batting first is Afghanistan’s strength, so will England give them that opportunity if Buttler wins the toss? For Afghanistan, do they risk bowling in the dew if Hashmatullah wins the toss?

The forecast looks good with conditions brightening up in the afternoon. AccuWeather forecasts just a 7% chance of precipitation with a top temperature of 25 degrees.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for AFG vs ENG: Key Players to Watch & Top Picks

Note: Try to pick more batters and all-rounders if you are playing on Dream11. The new point system rewards the batters heavily.

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz is a must especially if Afghanistan bats first. He averages 54.00 in 25 ODIs batting first, compared to 20.42 in 22 ODIs batting second.

Key batter picks:

• Ben Duckett is in magnificent form. He is coming off 165 against Australia on this ground, where he picked up 289 Dream11 points. A must pick given he’s struck six fifties and three hundreds in 20 ODIs to date.
• Rahmat Shah batted beautifully against South Africa for his 92. He provides Afghanistan with stability. Given his solid technique, he should enjoy conditions at Lahore.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Picked in 94.9% of Dream11 teams, Joe Root has hit two half-centuries in his last three ODIs. He looks in good touch and a big score can be around the corner. He is also likely to chip in with overs that further increases his fantasy appeal.
• Azmatullah Omarzai averages 52.4 with the bat in ODIs since the start of 2023. Also, he can find swing with the new ball in some overcast conditions in Lahore.

Key bowler picks:

• Adil Rashid is the most important part of the England attack. Rashid took 3/42 against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup. The legspinner continues to perform and on a Lahore pitch where spin will be important, he is a must-pick.
• Rashid Khan is a vc option in Dream11 given England’s worries against spin. He took 3/37 against them in the 2023 World Cup and also contributed with the bat (23 off 23 balls).
• Jofra Archer is striving to return to his best. He has the potential to take big wickets as he bowls the crunch overs and can also contribute with lower order runs. Always worth a pick.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Tips

• Jos Buttler can be an excellent pick if England bat first. Afghanistan’s death bowling left a bit to be desired against South Africa and Buttler can take advantage in this game. However, Buttler averages just 25.8 in all ICC ODI tournaments (CWC and CT).
• Ibrahim Zadran has made starts in his last three innings (39 and 32 in the CT warm ups and 17 vs South Africa). He is a player who can deliver a good score especially if he gets through the powerplay.
• Liam Livingstone is inconsistent but can be worth a try in one of your contests. He will chip in with overs and has the capability to finish big. Of course, this is a riskier pick.
• England have their issues against spin, so an opportunity awaits Mohammad Nabi. The offspinner took 6-1-16-2 in the World Cup match against England in 2023.
• Phil Salt has made scores of 43, 26, 23 and 10 in his last four games. The potential for a big score is there if he can get through the powerplay.

Other Stats and Matchups

• Head-to-head: Matches 3, Afghanistan 1, England 2.
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashed 80 off 57 balls (batting first) against England in the 2023 World Cup.
• Harry Brook struck 66 (61) against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup. Can he overcome his spin worries here?
• Rashid Khan has figures of 5/50 off 75 balls against Jos Buttler in T20s. Will this translate to ODIs?

CT 2025 8th Match: AFG vs ENG Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

CT 2025 8th Match: AFG vs ENG Match Prediction – Who will win?

Afghanistan are a great chance of winning especially if they bat first.