Australia Advances to Champions Trophy Semi-Finals as Rain Abandons Match Against Afghanistan
Afghanistan's semi-final hopes now rest on England defeating South Africa by an improbable margin
Australia advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy after their Group B match against Afghanistan at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, was abandoned due to rain.
Australia, chasing a target of 274, were in a strong position at 109/1 in 12.5 overs when heavy rain halted play.
Despite efforts to protect the pitch, the outfield remained too wet for play to resume, leading officials to call off the match.
With this result, Australia finished the group stage with four points, including two abandoned matches, securing their place in the knockout stage for the first time since 2009.
Batting first, Afghanistan posted a competitive total of 273 runs in their 50 overs, led by Sediqullah Atal’s 85 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s quickfire 67. Australia’s chase was powered by Travis Head’s explosive unbeaten 59 off 40 balls before rain intervened.
Afghanistan’s semi-final hopes now rest on England defeating South Africa by an improbable margin in their upcoming match. Meanwhile, South Africa remains favoured to join Australia in the semi-finals from Group B.
