Australia vs South Africa ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Qualification scenarios in case of a washout in Rawalpindi match

New Delhi: The seventh match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to take place between Australia and South Africa on February 25 in Rawalpindi. Both teams emerged victorious in their opening matches and currently hold the top two positions in the points table. The outcome of this highly anticipated match could potentially solidify the winner's spot in the knockout stage of the tournament. In the Champions Trophy format, the top two teams from each group automatically advance to the semi-finals. With one win each under their belt, Australia and South Africa currently have two points in Group B. However, South Africa currently leads the group standings based on net run rate.

Current Standings in the Points Table
South Africa secured a massive 107-run victory against Afghanistan, giving them a strong net run rate of 2.14. Meanwhile, Australia’s net run rate stands at 0.475. The team that loses this match will still have one more opportunity to qualify for the knockouts with a win in their final group game. England and Afghanistan, the other two teams in Group B, currently hold the third and fourth positions, respectively, with no points yet. Both teams have two matches remaining and must win both by significant margins to stay in contention for the semi-finals.

Head-to-Head Record: Australia vs South Africa in ODIs
Australia and South Africa have faced each other 110 times in ODIs. South Africa has won 55 matches, while Australia has claimed victory in 51 encounters. Three matches ended in a tie, and one match had no result. Since 2023, the two teams have played seven ODIs against each other, with South Africa winning four and Australia winning three. The match was originally scheduled to start at 2:30 PM IST, but persistent rain has delayed the toss. If the match is eventually abandoned, South Africa might find themselves in a tricky situation.

Impact of a Match Abandonment
Australia has already defeated England, the other strong contender in this group, while South Africa has beaten Afghanistan. If this match gets washed out, both teams will receive one point each, taking their tally to three points each. Australia will then need to beat Afghanistan to secure a semi-final berth, while South Africa will have to overcome England, a much stronger opponent, to make it to the final four. This makes South Africa’s road to the knockouts more challenging.

Where to Watch the Match Live?
Indian fans can watch the live broadcast of this match on Star Sports and Sports 18 channels, while live streaming is available on the JioHotstar app.