Group B of the Champions Trophy 2025 is reaching an exciting climax as Afghanistan faces Australia at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday. Both teams are fighting for a chance to play in the semi-finals, making this match super important!
In their recent meetings during ICC events, both teams have had thrilling moments. In the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup, Glenn Maxwell led Australia to victory. But last year, Afghanistan got their revenge in a nail-biting match at the Men’s T20 World Cup. Both teams had close wins against England, so it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top this time!
Recent Form:
– Afghanistan: Their performance has been mixed. However, they are riding high after their recent victory over England. Before this win, they lost badly to South Africa by 107 runs. Afghanistan showed they can win by beating teams like Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe in their last four series.
– Australia: The Australians kicked off their tournament with an exciting win against England, but their big game against South Africa was rained out. They have not been in great shape, having lost 2-0 to Sri Lanka in their last series. The team is also missing star bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.
Probable Playing XI:
– Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
– Australia: Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (w), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson.
Match Details:
– When: February 27, 2025, at 2:30 PM IST / 2:00 PM local time
– Where: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
What to Expect:
Since 2022, Lahore has seen 10 One Day Internationals (ODIs), with teams chasing scores winning half of those matches. The average score for the first inning is about 300 runs. In this tournament, Australia chased down a massive 351 runs against England, while Afghanistan defended a score of 325 in a nail-biting game. There might be light rain, but conditions are expected to improve later in the match!
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