The semi-final lineup for the Champions Trophy 2025 features India vs. Australia in Dubai and New Zealand vs. South Africa in Lahore. India topped Group A after defeating New Zealand by 44 runs, with Varun Chakravarthy taking 5 wickets for 42 runs. India scored 249 runs, led by Shreyas Iyer’s 79, while New Zealand managed 205, with Kane Williamson scoring 81. Both semi-finals will start at 2:30 PM IST, following a toss at 2 PM. India aims to continue their unbeaten streak against Australia, a rematch of the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
The semi-final line-up for the Champions Trophy 2025 is set! In the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday, India will take on Australia, while New Zealand will compete against South Africa in the second semi-final in Lahore on Wednesday. Varun Chakravarthy spearheaded India’s success with an impressive 5-42, marking the best bowling figures in the current tournament, as India triumphed over New Zealand by 44 runs in their final Group A match at the Dubai International Stadium this past Sunday. This victory secured India the top spot in Group A, leading to their clash with Australia in the first semi-final, reminiscent of the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Meanwhile, New Zealand will face South Africa in the second semi-final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday.
Both matches are scheduled to commence at 2:30 PM IST, with the toss taking place at 2 PM.
Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final line-up
India vs Australia, 1st semi-final, March 3, 2:30 PM IST
New Zealand vs South Africa, 2nd semi-final, March 4, 2:30 PM IST
After Shreyas Iyer contributed 79 runs, helping India reach 249/9 in 50 overs, Chakravarthy used his pace and variations to deceive the Blackcaps, finishing with 5-42 in his ten overs during his Champions Trophy debut, bowling New Zealand out for 205 in 45.3 overs.
For New Zealand, Kane Williamson fought valiantly with a score of 81 off 120 balls on a challenging pitch, relying on nudges, glances, and inside-out shots for boundaries. However, the Indian spin quartet tightened the grip during the middle overs, allowing Rohit Sharma & Co. to maintain their unbeaten streak in the tournament.
India nearly claimed their first wicket in the fourth over when Varun Chakravarthy dropped Will Young’s catch at mid-on off Hardik Pandya’s bowling, leading to a four after the ball deflected off his boot. However, Pandya provided the early breakthrough just four balls later, with Rachin Ravindra upper-cutting to deep third, where Axar Patel took a low diving catch.
Although Young and Williamson managed to hit some solid boundaries, India kept the pressure on as New Zealand reached 44/1 in the first power-play. Varun Chakravarthy found significant turn in his opening over and claimed his first wicket by having Young inside-edge a googly onto his stumps.
With India’s spinners generating plenty of turn, Williamson, who was given a reprieve on 32 by Chakravarthy, and Mitchell opted for a patient approach, adding 44 runs for the third wicket as they occasionally found boundaries. The partnership was broken when Kuldeep Yadav spun a googly past Mitch’s inside edge, trapping him lbw for 17.
Williamson hung around to achieve his fifty off 77 balls, tickling Jadeja for four through fine leg, and kept New Zealand in the chase by executing an inside-out drive against the spinner for another boundary. However, Jadeja responded by dismissing Tom Latham lbw for 14 as he attempted a reverse sweep.
Jadeja almost had Williamson out on 68 if KL Rahul had held onto the chance. Still, Chakravarthy struck twice in consecutive overs to trap Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell lbw, despite replays indicating that the latter would have been not out as the ball missed the stumps.
The outcome of the match became evident when Williamson danced down the pitch to hit Axar over mid-on but missed the ball, allowing Rahul to stump him easily for a determined 81 off 120 balls. Mitchell Santner managed to hit some late boundaries, scoring 28 off 31 balls until Chakravarthy uprooted his off-stump, completing his five-wicket haul and effectively sealing India’s victory.
Brief Scores: India 249/9 in 50 overs (Shreyas Iyer 79, Hardik Pandya 45; Matt Henry 5-42) beat New Zealand 205/10 in 45.3 overs (Kane Williamson 81, Mitchell Santner 28; Varun Chakaravarthy 5-42, Kuldeep Yadav 2-56) by 44 runs
With IANS inputs
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