ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India and South Africa Advance to Semifinals

Image credits: Altaf Qadri/AP

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has reached its semifinal stage, with India and South Africa emerging as strong contenders for the title. India's victory over New Zealand by 44 runs has set up a semifinal clash with Australia, while South Africa will face New Zealand in the other semifinal match. India won all three of their group matches to top Group A, and their match against Australia will be a rerun of the 2023 Cricket World Cup final.

India's win over New Zealand was largely due to the impressive performance of spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who returned figures of 5-42, his first ODI five-wicket haul in just his second match. Shreyas Iyer's 79 and a late 45 by Hardik Pandya also contributed to India's total of 249-9. New Zealand's Kane Williamson stood out with a valiant 81, but his efforts were not enough to save his team from defeat. The Indian team's spinners dominated in helpful conditions, with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja also taking key wickets.

South Africa's march into the semis was marked by a confident win, with players like Klaasen and Rassie van der Dussen shining in their match against England. The team's performance has been impressive, and they will look to carry this momentum into their semifinal match against New Zealand. The semifinal matches promise to be exciting, with India facing Australia in Dubai and South Africa taking on New Zealand in Lahore. The winners of these matches will advance to the final, which will be played at a later date.

The tournament has seen some impressive individual performances, with players like Virat Kohli, who played in his 300th one-day international, and Glenn Phillips, who took a stunning one-handed catch, making headlines. The cricket world is eagerly waiting to see which team will emerge as the champion of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Here are the match scores and player statistics:

• India vs New Zealand: India won by 44 runs
• South Africa vs England: South Africa won by a confident margin
• Player statistics:
  • Varun Chakravarthy: 5-42
  • Shreyas Iyer: 79
  • Hardik Pandya: 45
  • Kane Williamson: 81

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been an exciting tournament so far, with many thrilling matches and impressive individual performances. As the tournament reaches its final stages, fans around the world are eagerly waiting to see which team will be crowned the champion. With India and South Africa emerging as strong contenders, the semifinal matches promise to be exciting and closely contested.