Lahore
The ICC Champions Trophy being played in Pakistan’s hosting seems to be a golden opportunity for the Afghanistan team in 2025. He has a chance to make it to the semi -finals. The Afghan team got this opportunity due to rain. But even for the semi -finals, the Afghan team will still have to throw all its strength. Also, once again the sports world will have to be surprised.
Actually, on Tuesday (February 25), Australia and South Africa were to compete. But this match was completely washed away due to rain. This match was canceled without any ball.
Semi-final equation entangled in Group B
Both teams South Africa and Australia got 1–1 points due to the cancellation of the match. In this way, there are 3-3 points equal to both teams. The African team is at the top in their Group B with better net runrate 2.140. While Australia’s net runrate is 0.475, who is in second place.
This is followed by England and Afghanistan. Both have played 1-1 matches so far and they have lost in both. The cancellation of this match has benefited the Australia team a little. Whereas there has been a do or die situation for England and Africa. In this way, the semi-final equation in Group B is entangled. While a golden opportunity has come to light for the Afghan team.
Let’s know how the semi-final equation is in Group B…
– Australia now has to play their last match against Afghanistan in the group. The Kangaroo team will have to win this match for the semi -finals. The team will have 5 points as soon as they win this match and they will qualify for the semi -finals.
– Africa also has to play its last match, which will be against England. This match is going to be a do or die for him. Africa will also have to win this match for entry in the semi -finals. If the results of both these matches come in the same way, then Australia and Africa will be in the semi-finals with 5-5 points. While England and Afghan team will be out.
– On the other hand, the England team still has to play 2 matches, which are against Afghanistan and South Africa. If the English team wins both the matches, then they will enter the semi -finals. The Kangaroo team will also qualify with him. While Africa will be out.
– Afghanistan team still has to play 2 matches. Both of them are against England and Australia. If the Afghan team puts full strength and both of them win the match, then they will enter the semi -finals. In this situation both England and Australia will be out. While Africa will qualify.
Afghan team has defeated England-Australia before
Even though the Afghanistan team is weak in international cricket, it is not that it does not know how to defeat big teams. Last year, in the ODI World Cup 2023, the Afghan team had won three strong teams like England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and got their iron.
In this World Cup, the Afghan team won their fourth win against the Netherlands. If this team had won one more match in that tournament, it could have been a semi -final contender. In this World Cup, the Afghan team also got rid of the sweat of Australia.
The Kangaroo team fell 7 wickets in achieving a target of 291 runs. At one time this match was seen in the hands of the Afghan team. Despite being injured in this match, Glenn Maxwell won Australia by scoring an unbeaten 201 run. If Maxwell’s wicket fell, this match could have won the Afghan team.
The Afghanistan team has once shocked Australia in T20 format. In such a situation, he has the ability to defeat big teams. He cannot be underestimated. In such a situation, if the Afghan team again showed its passion and defeated England-Australia, then it will create history.
Chance to create history for Afghanistan
The teams of Afghanistan and England will clash in Lahore on Wednesday. Rashid Khan can create history in this match. They have a chance to make a big world record. If Rashid takes 2 wickets, he will complete 200 ODI wickets. This match between Afghanistan and England is also going to be important in terms of semi -finals.
Actually, Rashid Khan has so far taken 198 wickets in 112 ODIs. If they take 2 wickets against England, then 200 ODI wickets will be completed. Rashid is the best performance to take 7 wickets for 18 runs in a match. He has a chance to create history against England. The reason is that so far no bowler for Afghanistan has been able to take 200 wickets. Rashid can become the first bowler of the team to do so.
The top three bowlers who took the most wickets for Afghanistan –
Rashid has taken the most wickets in ODIs for Afghanistan. He is at the top with 198 wickets. Mohammad Nabi is second in the list. Nabi has taken 174 wickets in 171 matches. He is the best performance to take 5 wickets for 17 runs in a match. Daulat Jadaran is at number three. He has taken 115 wickets in 82 matches.
The match will be important in terms of semi -finals –
The match between Afghanistan and England will be very important. Both these teams have played one match each in the Champions Trophy so far and have faced defeat in it. England were defeated by Australia. While Afghanistan was defeated by South Africa. If both teams have to reach the semi -finals, then the remaining matches will have to win under any circumstances.
Defeated Africa 2–1 in ODI series
Afghanistan has won the last 3 ODI series consecutively. In September 2024, a 3-match ODI series played against South Africa in Sharjah, with a 2–1 win. From this, we can guess that the Afghan team also has the ability to defeat a strong team like Africa.
After this, the Afghan team defeated Bangladesh 2–1 in the 3-match ODI series on Sharjah’s ground. Just before the Champions Trophy, the Afghanistan team played a 3-match ODI series on a Zimbabwe tour, winning 2–0. A match was inconclusive.
Let us know that 2 semi-final teams have been decided from Group-A. The Indian team and the New Zealand ICC Champions Trophy have reached the semi -finals of 2025. While hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh have been ruled out of the tournament.