India have officially qualified for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals alongside New Zealand from Group A, after the Kiwis notched up a comprehensive five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Monday, February 24. (Highlights | Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
💫Both India and New Zealand now have four points from two games, which means neither Pakistan nor Bangladesh can overtake either side. The Men In Green and Bangla Tigers are thus both knocked out of qualification reckoning with Monday's result.
India had defeated Pakistan by six wicketsꦉ in a much-awaited but ultimately one-sided encounter in Dubai on Sunday. The win had put Rohit Sharma's men on the brink of a semi-finals berth, and the BlackCaps' victory over Bangladesh has sealed the deal now.
♍This renders the subsequent Group A clash between Pakistan and Bangladesh on February 27 a dead rubber, while the face-off between India and New Zealand on March 2 will decide who ends the league phase on top of the group.
🥂Either way, India will play the first semi-final as it is scheduled in Dubai. All of India's matches in the tournament are being played in the United Arab Emirates following the central government's refusal to send the team to Pakistan.
𝕴In the semis, India will take on the team that finishes second in Group B. Australia and South Africa have two points apiece in that group as of now, while England and Afghanistan are yet to open their respective accounts. Australia and South Africa meet in Rawalpindi on Tuesday (February 25), and the outcome of that clash could go a long way in determining the two semi-finalists from Group B.
