Australia has qualified for the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinals after their Group B match against Afghanistan in Lahore was called off on Friday due to rain. This result gives Australia 4 points from 3 matches, while Afghanistan and South Africa each have 3 points. However, South Africa has played one less match and is set to play against England in their final Group B game on Saturday. A victory for South Africa in that match would secure their place in the semifinals alongside Australia, topping the group with 5 points.
However, if South Africa loses to England, Afghanistan could still have a chance to reach the semifinals. In that scenario, the second semifinal spot from Group B would be determined by Net Run Rate (NRR). Currently, South Africa has a significantly better NRR than Afghanistan.
The match was interrupted by heavy rain when Australia were at 109 for 1 in 12.5 overs, chasing a target of 274. Despite efforts to dry the field, standing water remained on the pitch, and the umpires decided to abandon the match after an inspection.
The rain delay occurred just before the cut-off time for completing the match.
With the washout, Australia progresses to the semifinals with four points. Their previous match against South Africa in Rawalpindi was also abandoned due to rain.
At the time of the interruption, Travis Head was playing exceptionally well, scoring 59 runs off 40 balls, including nine fours and one six.
Head’s innings followed a stroke of luck when Rashid Khan dropped a catch at mid-on off Fazalhaq Farooqi when Head was on six runs. Head took full advantage of this reprieve, aggressively scoring against the Afghan bowlers, particularly taking 28 runs off Farooqi’s bowling in 17 balls.
Steve Smith was supporting Head at the other end, playing a more composed innings with 19 not out from 22 balls, including two boundaries.
With this match ending in no result, Afghanistan’s chances of reaching the semifinals are now very slim and depend on the outcome of the South Africa versus England match on Saturday.
If South Africa wins, they will lead the group with five points.
If England wins, both South Africa and Afghanistan will end up with three points, and the semifinal spot will be decided by Net Run Rate (NRR).
Afghanistan’s current NRR of -0.99 makes their qualification highly unlikely unless South Africa suffers a massive defeat against England, losing by a margin of over 200 runs.
Earlier in the day, Afghanistan managed to score a competitive total of 273 runs, mainly due to Sediqullah Atal’s resilient 85 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s powerful 67.
Atal anchored the innings after an unstable beginning, but it was Omarzai’s aggressive hitting towards the end that pushed Afghanistan past 270, after they were at 235 for 8 following Rashid Khan’s dismissal.
Omarzai’s impactful 63-ball innings included five sixes and one four. He hit two huge sixes off Nathan Ellis in the penultimate over, including a remarkable 102-meter six over midwicket, sending the ball over Glenn Maxwell at the boundary.
He then hit another towering six towards long-off, helping Afghanistan achieve a strong total that could benefit their spin-heavy bowling attack.
However, Omarzai was dismissed in the final over by Ben Dwarshuis, who also took the wicket of Noor Ahmed on the last ball of the innings, finishing with figures of 3/47 from nine overs.
World champions Australia also conceded 37 extra runs, including 17 wides.
