TOP STORIES
Champions Trophy, AUS vs AFG: Unmanned Australia meet dangerous Afghanistan in a must-win clash

Australia and Afghanistan are set to face-off in their most crucial encounter of the Champions Trophy, scheduled to be played on Friday at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The winner of the match will progress to the semi-finals while the loser will be knocked out of the tournament. Australia will be facing huge challenge from Afghanistan, who are pumped up after ending England’s campaign with an eight-run win on Wednesday in Rawalpindi.
This is the highest stakes ODI battle for Australia after their last match against South Africa in Rawalpindi was abandoned without a ball being bowled. However, Australia will take comfort in their thrilling performance against England in their first match of Champions Trophy, where they pulled off a stunning victory, completing a record run chase on the back of Josh Inglis' heroic 120 off 86 unbeaten.
But, Australia will also be aware of the trouble Afghanistan can create for them after they dominated them during the ODI World Cup 2023 match. If it wasn’t for hobbling Glenn Maxwell’s double-ton, Afghanistan would have clinched that battle. Still, in their recent meeting, Afghanistan outplayed Australia at the last year’s T20I World Cup 2024.
One thing is certain that this match is not going to be a one-sided contest, with Afghanistan brimming with confidence. And, they would hope that their spinners rise to the occasion and help the side storm into the semi-finals. Australia, on the other hand, will be happy that they are playing in Lahore where they claimed a spectacular five-wicket win over England.
As things stand, Australia are riding high after their miracle victory against England. And, Afghanistan are also riding a wave of momentum after knocking England out of tournament. Above all, this is a must-win match for both sides in order to advance into the semis.
Head to head
Matches - 4
AUS Won - 4
AFG Won - 0
Australia Probable XI: Matt Short, Travis Head, Steve Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa
Afghanistan Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Tags
More News

KKR edge out SRH in one-sided thriller
Kolkata Knight Riders squeezed out an 80-run win over star-studded Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday at Eden Gardens to return to winning ways. The win was made possible by an explosive middle-order batting display, a clinical bowling performance, and a determined team effort.
After being sent in, KKR faced early setbacks when their openers strugg...

“Every home team should have the right…”: Former Indian cricketer shares his views on pitch advantage
Since the start of IPL 2025, the discussion surrounding the pitch conditions for home sides has taken centre stage, with coaches, mentors and players sharing their opinions. Last night, RCB became the latest team to suffer a defeat on their home ground in Bengaluru against Gujarat Titans. Sharing his thoughts on the matter, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra felt that home t...

Kane Williamson hails Siraj’s bowling display against RCB
Veteran New Zealand star Kane Williamson has lavished huge praise on Mohammed Siraj for carrying out a sensational bowling display against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Wednesday at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Siraj broke the back of a high-flying RCB, grabbing three crucial wickets to help his side seal an eight-wicket win. He was also adjudged player...

Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf calls for team performance
Pakistan’s heavy defeat against New Zealand in the second ODI on Wednesday further highlighted their batting and bowling issues, with top-order being completely shattered by New Zealand’s suffocating bowling attack. Over the last few months, Pakistan have been performing underwhelmingly, with Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and other to...

IPL 2025: Out of sorts KKR, SRH face each other
The finalists of IPL 2024 Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad are back as they are ready to face each other in the 15th match of the ongoing IPL 2025 on Thursday at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Both teams last met in the final of the IPL 2024 where KKR had prevailed to win the title. This season, the situation hasn’t been great for either of them, hav...