Afghanistan's Semi-Final Hopes Depend on England Beating South Africa By

Photo : AP

South Africa is very close to reaching the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy 2025. They will play against England in their last league match on Saturday. If South Africa wins this match, they will confirm their place in the semi-finals. Australia has already reached the semi-finals from Group B. South Africa is in second place on the points table. They will qualify unless they lose to England by a very big margin. Even if they win by just one run or one wicket, it will be enough for them to move to the next round.

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Afghanistan is also hoping to qualify from Group B, but their chances are very low. For Afghanistan to reach the semi-finals, England must beat South Africa by a very big difference. England needs to win by at least 207 runs or chase a target in just 11.1 overs if the first innings total is 300. This means Afghanistan can only qualify if something very unexpected happens.

So far, 10 matches have been played in the Champions Trophy 2025. Out of these, 8 matches were in Pakistan. Rain has affected many games, and 3 matches were completely washed out. If rain stops the match between England and South Africa, what will happen? If the game is not completed, both teams will share points. This will help South Africa because they will reach 4 points, the same as Australia. But South Africa has a better net run rate (NRR) of +2.140, while Australia’s NRR is +0.475. If the match is abandoned, South Africa will finish at the top of Group B.

In Group A, India and New Zealand will play their last league match on March 2 in Dubai. This match will decide which team finishes first in the group. If India finishes at the top, they will play against Australia in the semi-finals, and South Africa will face New Zealand. But if India finishes second, they will play against South Africa, while Australia will face New Zealand.

The first semi-final, in which India will play, will be held in Dubai on March 4. The second semi-final will be held in Lahore on March 5. These matches will decide which two teams will reach the final of the Champions Trophy 2025.