After an exhilarating group stage of 12 matches, the Champions Trophy now moves to the high-stakes knockout stages. Emerging victorious in Group A are India and New Zealand, while Australia and South Africa secured their spots in Group B.
Champions Trophy Semi-Finals: Schedule, Dates, Times, and Venues
- Tuesday, 4 March: Semi-final 1 – India vs. Australia, Dubai International Stadium, starting at 09:00 GMT.
- Wednesday, 5 March: Semi-final 2 – South Africa vs. New Zealand, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, starting at 09:00 GMT.
How the Teams Reached This Stage
- Group A: India and New Zealand confirmed their semi-final spots early after winning their first two matches. Their clash on Sunday saw India emerge victorious, securing the group’s top position.
- Group B: South Africa claimed the top spot with 5 points, courtesy of wins over Afghanistan and England, along with a rain-affected match against Australia. Australia advanced as the group runners-up after defeating England and sharing points in two washed-out games against South Africa and Afghanistan.
India has played all their matches in Dubai, adhering to their refusal to compete in Pakistan due to ongoing political tensions between the two nations. This arrangement predetermined India’s position in the first semi-final upon qualification.
Final Match Details
The Champions Trophy final is scheduled for Sunday, 9 March, starting at 09:00 GMT. The venue will depend on the teams reaching the final: should India qualify, it will be held in Dubai; otherwise, the final will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Reserve Days and Match Rules
Reserve days are allocated for both semi-finals and the final:
- First Semi-Final: Reserve day on Wednesday, 5 March (match starts earlier at 08:00 GMT).
- Second Semi-Final: Reserve day on Thursday, 6 March (match starts at 09:00 GMT).
- Final: Reserve day is scheduled for Monday, 10 March (09:00 GMT).
Key provisions for knockout matches include:
- An extra two hours of play on both the original and reserve days.
- A minimum of 25 overs per side is needed for the match to be valid, unlike the group stages’ 20 overs requirement.
- Matches suspended on the original day will resume from where they were left off on the reserve day.
- If no result is possible in a semi-final due to rain, the team finishing higher in the group stage will progress to the final.
- The trophy will be shared if the final remains washed out on both the original and reserve day.
- Tied matches will be decided by a Super Over.
Champions Trophy History
This edition marks the ninth Champions Trophy tournament. The winners of previous editions include:
- 1998: South Africa
- 2000: New Zealand
- 2002: India and Sri Lanka declared co-champions after two finals were washed out
- 2004: West Indies
- 2006: Australia
- 2009: Australia
- 2013: India
- 2017: Pakistan
Let the knockout stages set the cricketing world alight as we inch closer to crowning the 2025 Champions Trophy winners!
