The ICC Champions Trophy cricket tournament, currently taking place in Pakistan, will feature a Group B match today. Australia and Afghanistan will face off in Lahore, with the match starting at 2:45 PM local time.
Australia won their first match, while their second game was affected by rain. Afghanistan, on the other hand, lost their opening match against South Africa but bounced back with a victory over England.
The winner of today’s match will secure a spot in the semifinals. If Afghanistan loses, they will be eliminated. If Australia loses, they will still have a slim mathematical chance of advancing. Therefore, this match is considered a virtual knockout game.
The last time these two teams met in an ODI was during the 2023 World Cup, where Glenn Maxwell’s incredible double century helped Australia secure an unbelievable victory after being on the brink of defeat.
Afghanistan has never beaten Australia in ODI cricket. However, they have already defeated England twice—once in the last World Cup and again in this Champions Trophy.
In Group A, India and New Zealand have already secured semifinal spots with one game remaining, while hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh have been eliminated. In Group B, England has already been knocked out.
The tournament, featuring eight teams, will continue until March 9. These teams are divided into two groups:
- Group A: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
- Group B: Australia, South Africa, England, and Afghanistan.
After a single round-robin format within each group, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.
