The line-up for the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinals has been fixed. India and New Zealand had already reached the semifinals, while Australia qualified just one day ago. South Africa now entered the final-4 as the fourth team. South Africa made it to the semifinals before the result of their last group match against England was announced.
South Africa and England were in this last match of Group B in Karachi on Saturday, March 1. The performance of the England team, who was out of the tournament and played their last match after captain Jose Butler's resignation, was also bad. Due to Marco Jenson's excellent bowling and then magnificent fielding, South Africa all out for just 179 runs, which was not enough to beat South Africa. In this way, South Africa qualified for the semifinals just before the match ended.
The Afghanistan cricket team and its fans looked at the match. Just a day earlier, his match against Australia was canceled due to rain. Because of this, his hopes of reaching the semifinals were a major blow. England needed a strong performance and big win against South Africa to reach the final-4, but England struggling throughout the tournament could not do so.
Prior to the match, South Africa and Afghanistan had 3-3 points but South Africa were far ahead in terms of net run rate. In this case, it was almost certain that South Africa would reach the semifinals. Afghanistan could have got a chance to play in the semifinals only if it lost the last match of England by a margin of 207 or more, but South Africa did not allow this to be a big score.
Now the question is who will face South Africa in the semifinals? Its decision will now depend on the outcome of the match between India and New Zealand on Sunday 2 March. If Africa defeats England in this match, she will take first place in Group B with 5 points and then play in the second semifinal on March 5. If Africa loses this match, Australia will be in second place with 3 points and will face Group A's No. 1 team in the first semifinal on March 4. But all this will be decided only after the Indo-New Zealand match. (All Photo Credit: X / ICC)
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