New Delhi: South Africa’s Group B match against Australia in Rawalpindi was abandoned without a ball being bowled Tuesday. The washout has cleared the fog on England’s path to the semifinals, requiring them to win their remaining two games. This development has made the competition for the final four spots in the Champions Trophy 2025, particularly the two emerging from Group B, even more intriguing.
Persistent drizzle in Rawalpindi foiled all attempts at play, prompting the umpires to abandon the match at 5:15 pm IST, with no possibility of even a shortened 20-over game.
Australia and South Africa shared a point each after Tuesday’s game was called off leaving both teams with three points each having earlier beaten England and Afghanistan respectively in their tournament openers.
Group A fixed, Group B mixed
The two teams that lost their opening matches, Afghanistan (beaten by South Africa by 107 runs) and England (unable to defend 352 against Australia), clash on Wednesday 26 February in Lahore. The winner will remain in contention for a spot in the final four.
Winning the match doesn’t guarantee a spot in the final four. In fact, even South Africa and Australia, who have each won one game and now share one point haven’t secured their qualification just yet, making the road to semi-finals from the Group B much more interesting.
Australia’s semi-final prospects hinge on their match against Afghanistan in Lahore on 28 February. A win would guarantee their semi-final spot if they reach a total of 5 points.
Similarly, South Africa’s clash with England on 1 March in Karachi will determine whether they can reach 5 points and secure their place in the semi-finals.
The washed-out game brought a welcome reprieve for England and Afghanistan, keeping their hopes alive. If either team wins their remaining two matches, they’ll qualify; however, since they’ll face each other in one of those games, one will inevitably be eliminated.
On the other hand, India and New Zealand have secured their spots in the next round from Group A, thanks to their consecutive wins. These results have consequently eliminated Pakistan, the host nation, and Bangladesh from contention.
The only unresolved matters in Group A are the table topper and the team that will finish last. Winless Pakistan and Bangladesh face off in Rawalpindi on 27 March Thursday, while undefeated India and New Zealand clash in Dubai on 2 March for the final group-stage match of the tournament.
Remaining CT fixtures:
February 26: Afghanistan vs England (Lahore)
February 27: Pakistan vs Bangladesh (Rawalpindi)
February 28: Afghanistan vs Australia (Lahore)
March 1: South Africa vs England (Karachi)
March 2: New Zealand vs India (Dubai)
Semi-finals
March 4: Semi-final – A1 v B2 (Dubai)
March 5: Semi-final 2 – A2 v B1 (Lahore)
Final
March 9: Final (Lahore or Dubai)
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