England vs Afghanistan in Champions Trophy: Decoding key player battles
What's the story
England and Afghanistan will face each other in the eighth match of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The Group B clash will be played on Wednesday, February 26, at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.
Both teams are yet to register a win in the tournament after losing their respective openers.
Meanwhile, here we look at the key player battles that can be on display.
#1
Jos Buttler vs Rashid Khan
The face-off between England captain Jos Buttler and Afghanistan's spinner Rashid Khan could be a game-changer.
Buttler is known for his ability to perform under pressure and will be looking to replicate this against Afghanistan.
However, Rashid, one of the world's top spinners, will be eager to outperform him in this crucial encounter.
Though the two players have not clashed much in ODIs, Ras
#2
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Jofra Archer
Rahmanullah Gurbaz's performance against Jofra Archer could prove to be the match-defining one.
England will be hoping that Archer gets Gurbaz out early in the innings as the Afghanistan opener has been averaging 45.08 in ODIs since the start of last year.
Meanwhile, Archer was expensive in his preceding outing against Australia. He has claimed just three powerplay wickets in his last eight ODI appearances.
#3
Rahmat Shah vs Adil Rashid
Another contest to watch out for is the match-up between Rahmat Shah, who is known for his ability against short deliveries, and England's pacer Mark Wood, who is known for his brilliant pace and bounce.
Although Rahmat has shown comfort against short-pitched balls, Wood's high speed could make this a tough battle.
Notably, Shah played a valiant 90-run knock albeit in a losing cause against South Africa in Afghanistan's opener.
#4
Ben Duckett vs Fazalhaq Farooqi
Ben Duckett would be high on confidence, having a 143-ball 165 in his last outing against Australia.
His battle with Fazalhaq Farooqi in the initial overs can be enticing. As Duckett owns an average of 72 against left-arm pacers, Farooqi can't afford to miss his mark.
Meanwhile, the Afghan star owns 20 powerplay wickets at 31.51 in ODIs.
This match-up could be pivotal in setting the tone for England's innings.