Champions Trophy 2025: South Africa will play England in their last league match on Saturday. The encounter between South Africa and England in the Champions Trophy 2025 is set for March 1.
After almost clinching a semi-final place in the Champions Trophy 2025, South Africa will face England in their last league match on Saturday to formalize their qualification. Australia has advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament from Group B, while the Proteas are positioned right below them in second place on the points table. Provided the Temba Bavuma-led team does not suffer a substantial defeat against England, they will advance to the semi-finals. This indicates that a victory, even by the smallest margin, will suffice for them to advance to the knockout stage.
Afghanistan is the third team vying for a semi-final spot from Group B, but realistically their prospects are quite dim. As it stands, England must defeat South Africa by a minimum of 207 runs or successfully pursue the target in 11.1 overs (assuming a first innings score of 300 in both instances) for Afghanistan to advance.
So far, there have been 10 matches in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Of those, 8 were held in Pakistan, and three of them were canceled because of rain in the nation. What occurs if rain disrupts the South Africa vs England match too? Although sharing points would guarantee the Proteas a spot in the next round, what would the semi-final matchups look like?
If rain cancels the match between South Africa and England, the team led by Temba Bavuma will accumulate four points, matching Australia’s total. In that scenario, South Africa’s superior net run rate (NRR), +2.140, will secure them the top position. Australia’s NRR stands at +0.475. Significantly, if there is no outcome from a game, a team’s NRR stays unchanged. Should India top Group A, they will confront Australia in the tournament’s semi-finals. This situation will witness South Africa and New Zealand facing off in the elimination stage.
If the team led by Rohit Sharma finishes in second place, they will face South Africa in the final four, while Australia will compete against the Black Caps.
India and New Zealand will meet in their last league match on March 2 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The outcome of the match will also determine the final standings of both teams in the Group A ranking.
Any match that India participates in will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 4, while the other semi-final is scheduled to occur at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on March 5.
Edited by Shvetank Maurya
