Lahore, Feb 26: Jofra Archer became the fastest England bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets, against Afghanistan in the Group B encounter of the Champions Trophy 2025, here at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Archer made an explosive start, dismantling Afghanistan’s top order by picking up three quick wickets. In the process, he reached a significant milestone—completing 50 wickets in One Day Internationals (ODIs). More importantly, he became the fastest bowler in England’s history to achieve this feat, surpassing the legendary James Anderson.

Before Archer’s feat, Anderson held the record for the fastest 50 wickets for England in ODIs, having achieved the milestone in 31 matches. But Archer went one step further, accomplishing the landmark in just his 30th ODI. With this, he also outpaced other notable English bowlers, including Steve Harmison (32 matches), Steven Finn (33 matches), and Stuart Broad & Darren Gough (both in 34 matches).

On the global stage, Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis still holds the world record for the fastest 50 ODI wickets, achieving the milestone in just 19 matches. Among pacers, India’s Ajit Agarkar remains one of the quickest, having reached the mark in only 23 ODIs.

Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first but were reduce to 39/3 in powerplay. Archer’s fiery spell saw him dismissing strike batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz (6) with an inswinging fuller delivery. Then he trapped Sediqullah Atal in front of the wicket for four runs.

Rahmat Shah trying to pull the ball edged it straight in the deep fineleg on four runs for Archer’s third wicket.

Archer’s journey to this milestone took him nearly six years, even after his blistering start in 2019, where he claimed 23 ODI wickets and a World Cup winner’s medal within months of his debut. However, a series of devastating injuries, coupled with the diminishing prominence of the ODI format, slowed his progress. Despite the setbacks, reaching this landmark remains a significant achievement.

Dubai, Feb 26: India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli has re-entered the top five of the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings following a stellar performance against Pakistan in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Kohli’s sublime century—his 51st in the format—played a crucial role in India’s dominant victory over their arch-rivals in Dubai, propelling him one place higher to reclaim the fifth spot in the rankings.

With this, India now boasts three batters inside the top five, as opener Shubman Gill (1st) and captain Rohit Sharma (3rd) continue to hold their respective positions. Gill, in particular, has strengthened his grip on the No. 1 ranking, extending his lead to 47 rating points over former Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who remains in second place despite a lean run at the Champions Trophy so far.

Kohli is the only batter inside the top 10 to make a significant move, but several other players have gained ground just outside the elite bracket.

New Zealand’s Will Young made a notable leap, climbing eight spots to 14th following his recent performances, while England’s Ben Duckett (up 27 places to joint 17th) and New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra (up 18 places to 24th) have surged forward after their impactful centuries in the tournament.

India’s KL Rahul (up two places to 15th) and South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen (up three places to 16th) have also inched closer to the top 10.

In the bowling department, Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana retains the No. 1 ranking despite Sri Lanka’s absence from the Champions Trophy. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan remains his closest competitor in second place.

Meanwhile, South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj (up one place to fourth), New Zealand’s Matt Henry (up two places to sixth), and Australia’s Adam Zampa (up two places to 10th) have all improved their standings. Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada (up four spots to 16th) and New Zealand’s Michael Bracewell (up 31 places to 26th) were among the biggest gainers.

Bracewell’s recent performances also saw him make strides in the all-rounders’ rankings, jumping 26 places to 11th after his four-wicket haul against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. His teammate Ravindra (up six places to 15th) also made gains in this category. Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi continues to hold the top spot among ODI all-rounders.

New Delhi, Feb 25: Former India batter Mohammad Kaif lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not covering the entire ground as rain washed out the ICC Champions Trophy Group B fixture between Australia and South Africa in Rawalpindi.

Heavy rain in Rawalpindi delayed the toss for more than three hours before the fixture was called off. Just before the official announcement of the match abandonment, a picture shared by Kaif on social media showed that the outfield was not fully covered by the groundsmen.

Baffled with the scenes at the venue, Kaif slammed the hosts for their use of ICC funds for the eight-team marquee tournament and called it a “shame”.

Taking to X, Kaif wrote, “It’s a shame that the Rawalpindi ground isn’t fully covered. Such an important match – SA vs Aus – might go down the drain because no one addressed this issue. Was the ICC money utilised wisely by hosts?”

For the unversed, the renovation of stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi was completed just days before the Champions Trophy despite multiple deadline extensions.

This marks Pakistan’s first time hosting an ICC event in 29 years, having last co-hosted the 1996 World Cup. Meanwhile, India are playing their matches in Dubai.

The conditions in Rawalpindi didn’t improve even after more than three hours of the scheduled start and the officials took the ultimate decision to abandon the encounter.

The first-ever encounter between the two sides in the tournament saw an unwanted end as both sides shared a point each due to no result. With this, South Africa stay atop the Group B with three points at a NRR of +2.140, while Australia are second with +0.475.

South Africa and Australia started their campaign on a winning note against Afghanistan and England respectively. A win in the clash would have bolstered their semis hopes in Group B.

Australia will next take on Afghanistan in their final Group B match on February 28 while South Africa will play England in their last game on March 1.