CT 2025: Australia seal semi-final spot after rain-hit clash against Afghanistan

LAHORE: Australia have secured a spot in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after a rain-affected match against Afghanistan, according to the official website of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The weather intervened to stop play while Australia were on 109/1 in the 13th over in their run chase, with Travis Head leading the charge, not out on 59 off 40 deliveries, and Steve Smith alongside him on 19.

The match was ultimately abandoned, meaning that Australia progressed to the semi-finals.

Rashid Khan had a great chance to remove Head on 6, moving his feet brilliantly yet failing to close his fingers round the ball but it was Matt Short who was first to go, edging to Gulbadin Naib off Azmatullah Omarzai for 20.

Earlier, Sediqullah Atal was Afghanistan’s top scorer as they reached 273 all out, making 85 before being caught by Smith from the bowling of Spencer Johnson.

Johnson had taken the early wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over, leaving Afghanistan on 3/1 but Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah weathered the storm.

Zadran went for 22, caught by Marnus Labuschagne from the bowling of Adam Zampa, followed by Rahmat Shah, caught behind by Josh Inglis off the bowling of Glenn Maxwell.

That put Afghanistan on 91/3 but a solid half-century from Sediqullah, joined at the crease by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, looked as if it would set them up nicely for the second half of their innings.

The skipper reached only 20 from 49 balls and was dismissed by Zampa courtesy of another Labuschagne catch.

After that, the tail began to wobble, with Mohammad Nabi run out for a single, and Gulbadin caught for four. Azmatullah and Rashid put up some resilience for the eighth wicket – scoring 36 off 33 balls.

Rashid made a delightful cameo of 19 before he was caught by Maxwell from Ben Dwarshuis’s bowling, but Omarzai continued at the crease, making a deserved 67 and impressing with some big hitting before Alex Carey held on to a shot off Dwarshius.

Noor Ahmad was the last man to fall, caught behind on the last ball of the innings.

Afghanistan also benefited from some surprisingly lax work in the Australia attack and field, with 37 extras conceded. Earlier, Shahidi won the toss and elected to bat first.

After Australia got their tournament off to a flying start by chasing down the highest-ever score at an ICC event against England, rain played spoilsport in their next, forcing them to share points with South Africa, who both are now on three points each and occupying the top two spots in Group B.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, lost their opening game to South Africa by 107 runs but came back in stunning fashion to complete an incredible triumph against England to knock them out of contention for a semi-final spot. (ANI)