Afghanistan Qualification Scenarios: How can Afghanistan qualify for Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals?(Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
All thanks to a stellar performance by Ibrahim Zadran with his 177 off just 146 balls, Afghanistan were able to put and defend a total of 325 runs against England in the Match 8 of the Champions Trophy 2025. On Wednesday, February 26 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Afghanistan won by eight runs in a do-or-die game to keep their qualification hopes for the semi-final alive.
In a closely-fought Group B in the league stage, Afghanistan are currently third with a couple of points to their tally, while the top two spots are held by South Africa and Australia (three points each), respectively. England have been eliminated from the competition and their game against South Africa will be a must-win one for the latter, as it confirms their spot for further stages of the marquee tournament.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan have only one league stage game remaining, which is against Steven Smith’s Australia on Friday, February 28.
Afghanistan’s road to qualification
To guarantee a qualification, Hashmatullah Shahidi & Co. must win their upcoming game against the Aussies, and if they lose, they will be eliminated, since they won’t be able to surpass any of the team’s points tally. A win would seal the deal for them, as they will end at least on the second spot with four points.
Australia, on the other hand, can qualify even after a loss to Afghanistan, since South Africa losing to England with a huge margin would help them surpass the Rainbow Nation on the basis of a superior net run-rate (NRR).
What if the AFG vs AUS game is washed out?
If the match between Afghanistan and Australia ends in no result, Afghanistan will be knocked out of the qualification race, since both the team will gain a point each, handing Australia a confirmed berth for the business stage of the competition. Hence, only a win can do it for Afghanistan, so the fans back home will be praying for rain gods to be kinder.
Points Table, Group B, Champions Trophy 2025
| No | Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | PTS | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2.140 |
| 2 | Australia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.475 |
| 3 | Afghanistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.160 |
| 4 | England | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.305 |
*as of Thursday, February 27
Disclaimer: The information presented in this news article is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and perspective. Readers are encouraged to evaluate the details thoughtfully and draw their own conclusions.
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