India and Australia have both qualified for the SF |Courtesy -BCCI
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Australia have secured their semi-final spot
- India and New Zealand have qualified
- South Africa will face Afghanistan will play
Australia secured their place in their 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final after their match was washed out against Afghanistan. The Steve Smith-led side is the first team in Group B to make the semi-final and has joined India and New Zealand, who have secured their spots in the SF from Group A.
The final spot will be decided in the last Group B clash of the tournament on Saturday (March 1) between England and South Africa. While the Proteas have one foot in the semi-final, Afghanistan still have a slimmer of hope after avoiding defeat against Australia.
India and New Zealand will play the final league stage match of the tournament on Sunday (March 2) in Dubai. Although both teams have qualified, their match will decide who finishes first and second in the group.
As India will face a team from Group B in the semi-finals, Australia's qualification has made a semi-final between the 2023 World Cup finalists a real possibility. However, India's poor record in knockout matches against the two champions will leave fans fearing a clash against them.
How Can India Avoid Facing Australia In the Champions Trophy 2025 SF?
If South Africa Beat England Or the Match Is Washed Out: In this scenario, South Africa will take the top spot in the group and Australia will finish second. Hence, India will face Australia in the semi-final if they beat New Zealand. In case, the Rohit Sharma-led side loses their match, they will go head-to-head with the Proteas.
If England beats South Africa: In this scenario, Australia will top the group and either South Africa or Afghanistan will finish second in the group. If India wins against New Zealand, they will face the second-placed team and set up a semi-final between the Trans-Trasman rivals.
If India-New Zealand is washed out: In this case, India will finish second in the group as Net Run Rate (NRR) than New Zealand. Hence, India will have to hope that South Africa beat England.
Also Read: Explained: How Can Afghanistan Qualify For Champions Trophy 2025 SF And What Australia Washout Means For South Africa
Champions Trophy 2025 Group Standings After Australia vs Afghanistan
Group A
| Team |
Played |
Points |
Won |
Loss |
No Result |
NRR |
| New Zealand |
2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
+0.863 |
| India |
2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
+0.647 |
| Bangladesh |
3 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
-0.443 |
| Pakistan |
3 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
-0.187 |
| Team |
Played |
Points |
Won |
Loss |
No Results |
NRR |
| Australia |
3 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
+0.475 |
| South Africa |
2 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
+2.415 |
| Afghanistan |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
-0.990 |
| England |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
-3.05 |
It is worth that that India will play their semi-final in Dubai on March 4 regardless of the opponent. New Zealand will play their last four clash on March 5 in Lahore. The final will take place on 9th March. If India win their first match in the knockout, the summit clash will take place in Dubai. If the Men in Blue are not a finalist, the marquee fixture will be hosted in Lahore.
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