The crucial ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group B encounter between Australia and Afghanistan in Lahore ended in a no result due to rain. The solitary point for each team means that Australia has officially secured their spot in the knockout rounds, while Afghanistan’s fate now depends on South Africa’s final group-stage match against England tomorrow.
Afghanistan will be the happier of the two teams, as they still have an outside chance of making the knockout rounds—something that did not seem likely during Australia’s batting. Chasing 274 runs for the win, the Aussies smacked Afghanistan’s bowlers to all parts of the ground and were heading towards a seemingly comfortable victory before rain interrupted their march.
Hashmatullah’s team will now need England, who are winless in this tournament, to beat South Africa by a substantial margin to reach the last four. While this scenario may be unlikely, it still keeps Afghanistan in contention for the semi-finals. Regardless of the outcome, Afghanistan’s reputation as a growing powerhouse in the cricketing world has only been enhanced during their debut Champions Trophy campaign.
Champions Trophy Group B Standings After Australia vs Afghanistan
| Team | Matches Played | Wins | Losses | No Result | Points | Net Run Rate (NRR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | +0.475 |
| South Africa | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +2.140 |
| Afghanistan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -0.990 |
| England | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.305 |
The final Group B match between South Africa and England in Karachi tomorrow will decide who joins Australia and New Zealand in the semi-finals. South Africa is in a prime position to qualify, but England could cause a late twist in the tournament with an unexpected victory.
With one last spot in the semi-finals still up for grabs, all eyes will now turn to Karachi.
