The Afghan cricket team has been making waves in every ICC tournament, and the Champions Trophy 2025 is no exception. With impressive wins over England, they’ve got everyone talking. Despite the rain playing spoilsport in their match against Australia, which ultimately led to Australia topping Group B, Afghanistan still has a shot at the semi-finals. The real contest now is between them and South Africa for that second spot.
The South African team is currently sitting pretty at number two in the Group-B points table, with three points from two matches and a net run rate of +2.140. In contrast, Afghanistan has played all three matches, with one win, one loss, and a cancellation, leaving them with three points but a net run rate of -0.990.
Next up, South Africa faces off against England on March 1. For Afghanistan’s sake, they’ll be rooting for an English win. If that happens, both teams will be tied on points after three matches, and it’ll all come down to the net run rate. But how can Afghanistan’s net run rate surpass South Africa’s?
It’s quite straightforward, really. If England bats first, they need to defeat South Africa by at least 207 runs. On the other hand, if England bowls first, they must chase down the target within 11.1 overs. If either scenario plays out, Afghanistan’s net run rate will jump above South Africa’s, paving their way to the semi-finals. However, if South Africa emerges victorious against England, they’ll comfortably secure their spot in the semi-finals, leaving Afghanistan’s fate hanging in the balance.