The ICC Champions Trophy has now entered the knockout stage. Four teams—Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and India—have advanced to this round. Meanwhile, England, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and defending champions Pakistan have been eliminated from the tournament.
The tournament began on February 17, 2025, in Pakistan, featuring eight teams divided into two groups of four. This time, Sri Lanka failed to qualify and was replaced by Afghanistan, which is competing in the tournament for the first time.
Group A included Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and New Zealand. India remained undefeated, while New Zealand secured qualification with two victories. Pakistan and Bangladesh failed to win any matches, and their head-to-head game was abandoned, resulting in one point each.
Group B featured Australia, Afghanistan, South Africa, and England. South Africa and Australia advanced to the semi-finals. Afghanistan stunned England in a closely contested match in Lahore. England, however, ended their campaign without a single victory.
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According to the schedule, Australia will face India on March 4 in Dubai, while New Zealand will take on South Africa on March 5 in Lahore. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final is set for March 9. Although the exact venue is yet to be confirmed, Lahore is the expected host. However, if India reaches the final, the match might be moved to Dubai.
On social media, Australian fans have raised concerns about India’s matches being held at a single venue. Unlike other teams, which have played across Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Dubai, India has played all its matches at one stadium. In their last match against New Zealand, India defended a low total of 250 at the same venue, while South Africa failed to defend a 350+ total in Lahore. Critics argue that the Indian team is benefiting from “dead-road pitches” and using security concerns as an excuse to avoid other venues.
Some netizens even recalled Sachin Tendulkar’s struggles in Pakistan, reminding others of the time he cried the night before facing Waqar Younis in his ODI debut, where he was dismissed for a duck.