ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India vs Australia Semi-Final Preview

Image credits: Altaf Qadri/AP

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has reached its semi-final stage, with India set to face Australia in a highly anticipated match. Australia's path to the semi-finals has been a testament to their resilience and ability to perform under pressure, despite losing five of their starting XI before the tournament began. They demonstrated admirable mental toughness in the face of adversity, with their tournament getting off to a thrilling start against England, where they chased down 352, the highest-ever target at an ICC event.

In their match against England, Ben Dwarshuis, Adam Zampa, and Marnus Labuschagne all collected multiple scalps, but Ben Duckett's indomitable 165 powered England to 351/8 from their 50 overs. Australia faltered early in the chase, before Matthew Short and Alex Carey steadied things with half-centuries. The hero of the match was Josh Inglis, whose game-changing 120* propelled the Aussies over the line in Lahore. Their subsequent matches against South Africa and Afghanistan were affected by rain, but they managed to secure a point in each match, sealing their semi-final spot.

India, on the other hand, has had a dominant group stage performance, winning all three of their matches to top Group A. They will play the first semi-final of the 50-over tournament in Dubai, with the match being a rerun of the 2023 Cricket World Cup final, which the Australians won in Ahmedabad. India's spinner Varun Chakravarthy returned figures of 5-42 as they beat New Zealand by 44 runs to set up the semi-final clash with Australia. The Indian team has a 2-1 head-to-head record over Australia in the Champions Trophy, and they will be looking to capitalize on this advantage.

The semi-final match between India and Australia will be a highly competitive encounter, with both teams having a rich history in the Champions Trophy. Australia won the title in 2006 and 2009, while India were champions in 2013 and co-winners in 2002. The two teams have faced each other 151 times in ODI cricket, with India winning 57 matches compared to Australia's 84. The match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium, and the winner will advance to the tournament decider on Sunday, March 9. The competition is expected to be fierce, with both teams looking to outdo each other and secure a spot in the final.

Here are the match details:

• Match: India vs Australia, ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final
• Venue: Dubai International Stadium, UAE
• Start time: 2:30 PM IST
• Live streaming: JioHotstar in India
• Live telecast: Star Sports Network TV channels in India