CT 2025: Afghanistan and Australia set for high-stakes clash with semi-final spot on line

Lahore [Pakistan], February 28 (ANI): Group B of the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 gears up for a big finish as Afghanistan and Australia lock horns with each other at Lahore's Gadaffi Stadium on Friday. Both teams are vying for a place in the semi-finals, making this a high-stakes encounter.
This pair have met in some gripping recent encounters in ICC events, adding even more spice to this contest.
At the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup, a Glenn Maxwell classic helped Australia across the line. Afghanistan would pull one back against the Aussies at last year's Men's T20 World Cup in another thriller.
Both sides scraped home for wins against England, so how will they stack up?
Recent form:
Afghanistan: The form has been mixed, but Afghanistan will enter their match with Australia filled with confidence after getting the better of England on Wednesday. This win came after a heavy 107-run loss to South Africa in their opening tournament fixture. Before the Champions Trophy, Afghanistan proved worthy qualifiers by winning their four most recent bilateral series against Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.
Australia: The Aussies launched their tournament campaign with a theatrical win over England before their huge showdown with South Africa was abandoned due to the rain. Australia entered the Champions Trophy in uncertain form, having been outplayed in a two-match series against Sri Lanka, losing 2-0. The team is attempting to make a deep push without world-class bowling trio Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood, who are all unavailable for various reasons.
Players in focus:
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran
It's impossible to look past Afghanistan's star opening batter, after his enormous 177 off 146 balls to steer his team to victory over England. While their batting lineup has filled out in recent years, there's no question that Ibrahim remains a cornerstone figure in their team. Australia's bowling attack is light on experience, and this matchup looms as pivotal.
Australia: Spencer Johnson
Given how vital top-order runs are for Afghanistan, who will most likely end up batting first, given both teams' noted preferences, Australia's opening quicks could carve out their path to a victory. After 0/54 off seven overs against England, Johnson will be desperate to hone in and change his fortunes here, particularly targeting the wicket of the aforementioned Ibrahim.
Squads:
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran.
Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa. (ANI)