South Africa and Australia's washout has thrown group B wide open
Photo : AP
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The 2025 Champions Trophy fixture ended in a washout
- South Africa and Australia shared one point each
- England will face Afghanistan tomorrow in Lahore
South Africa and Australia promised to play arguably the most exciting match of the league stage on Tuesday (February 25) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium but the match proved to be an anti-climatic affair as the marquee clash was washed out due to relentless rain in Rawalpindi.
With no reserve day in place in the group stage of the tournament, both teams shared one point each. Both South Africa and Australia now have three points on the board after winning their opening games in the tournament against Afghanistan and England respectively.
What Does South Africa-Australia Washout Mean For Group B?
The washout means South Africa remains in first place in the group while Australia are second. England and Afghanistan remain third and fourth respectively ahead of their match against each other on Wednesday (February 26) at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.
The shared points between South Africa and Australia have ensured that the loser of the match between Afghanistan and England will be knocked out of the tournament and have no chance of reaching the semi-final.
Despite the washout, both South Africa and Australia have their destiny in their own hands. If South Africa and Australia win their last fixture, they will qualify regardless of the result of the England-Afghanistan match . Australia will go head-to-head against Afghanistan on Friday (February 28) in Lahore before England and South Africa play the last fixture of the group on Saturday (March 1) at the National Stadium in Karachi.
The winner of the England-Afghanistan will qualify if they win their last league stage fixture too. If both Australia and South Africa end up losing their third match of the tournament, the winner of the England-Afghanistan match will qualify alongside the team with a better Net Run Rate (NRR) among South Africa and Australia.
Meanwhile, India and New Zealand are assured of a place in the knockout stage from Group A with hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh knocked out from the tournament.
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