Australia vs South Africa match abandoned, how can the Aussies qualify for the Champions Trophy Semi Finals, Know the scenarios
The race to reach the semi-finals phase of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy within Group-B is looking really interesting. The Australia versus South Africa (AUS vs RSA) Group-B match was scheduled to be played on the 25th of February at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium but, the match wasn't able to commence due to constant rainfall in the city of Rawalpindi.
This match eventually got abandoned without the toss taking place and both teams shared one point a piece. This has made the semi-finals qualification scenario of Group-B really interesting and in this article, we will be taking a look at what will be the equation for Australia to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament.
Australia's equation to reach the semi-finals
Australia and South Africa are the top two teams in the Group-B of Champions Trophy 2025 with three points to their name and both of them have also secured victories in their opening encounters. The Proteas are the table toppers while the Kangaroos are at the second position. Since the match between both these teams got abandoned, both of them shared a point each.
Australia will have one match left, which it has to play against Afghanistan on 28 February. If the Kangaroo team defeats Afghanistan, then it will directly enter the semi-finals with 5 points. Even if Afghanistan defeats Australia, it will have a chance to go to the semi-finals, but it will have to depend on other teams.
The Steven Smith-led team still have one group stage match left versus Afghanistan on the 28th of February. If they manage to defeat the Afghans, then they will secure direct qualification for the semi-finals with five Points. Even if the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led outfit defeat the Aussies, they will still have a chance to go forward in the tournament but they have to rely on the outcomes of the England versus Afghanistan and South Africa versus England matches.
If Afghanistan go on to win the contest versus the Aussies, then there's a possibility that their Net Run Rate (NRR) can go down significantly. In such a situation, the 2023 ODI World Cup winners will hope that their Ashes counterparts go on to secure a victory in at least one of their remaining two games. South Africa, on the other hand, should win versus the Three Lions at all costs. In this way, England and Afghanistan will be limited to 2 points only.
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