Champions Trophy thriller: Afghanistan wins toss, elects to bat against Australia

In a high-stakes encounter, Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first against Australia in the 10th match of the ICC Champions Trophy at Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday.

This is a must-win clash for Afghanistan, while Australia needs just a single point to qualify—but both sides are eager to secure their semi-final spot with a commanding victory.

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and opted to bat in the crucial Champions Trophy Group B match against Australia in Lahore on Friday.

Tournament debutants Afghanistan will reach the semi-finals with victory and kept the same team that beat England by a thrilling eight runs.

They lost their first match of the 50-over competition against South Africa by 107 runs.

Steve Smith-led Australia will themselves reach the semi-finals with a win.

They kept the same team that beat England by five wickets in their first match.

Their second match, against South Africa, was washed out.

South Africa face already eliminated England in Group B on Saturday.

India and New Zealand have sealed their spots in the last four from Group A.

Teams:

Australia: Steve Smith (captain), Matthew Short, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson, Adam Zampa

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Umpires: Alex Wharf (ENG) and Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

TV umpire: Chris Gaffaney (NZL)

Match referee: Andrew Pycroft (ZIM)

About Match

Afghanistan’s recent stunning victory over England has turned this game into a virtual quarter-final, where a loss will eliminate them. Australia, too, cannot afford defeat, as their qualification would then hinge on South Africa suffering a heavy loss against England—a scenario deemed unlikely. If rain interrupts play, Australia will automatically advance to the semi-finals.

The two teams have had thrilling encounters in ICC events before. At the 2022 T20 World Cup, Australia narrowly won by six runs but still crashed out early. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Glenn Maxwell’s historic double-century turned the game upside down, breaking Afghan hearts. However, Afghanistan took revenge in the 2024 T20 World Cup, defeating Australia by 21 runs to book a semi-final spot.

With both teams coming off tight victories against England, this contest in Lahore promises to be another classic—with a semi-final berth on the line.