Australia Advances to Champions Trophy Semifinals After Rain-Shortened Match

Australia secured a spot in the Champions Trophy semi-finals after their crucial match against Afghanistan was abandoned due to heavy rain. Afghanistan had set a target of 274 runs, led by Sediqullah Atal's 85 and Azmatullah Omarzai's 67, but Australia was comfortably positioned at 109 for 1 in their chase when the match was called off. This washout allowed Australia to accumulate four points, despite not completing the 20 overs required for a result. However, the victory came at a cost, as Matt Short suffered a quad injury and is expected to miss the semi-final. Australia will face either India or New Zealand in the next round, with their final position in Group B pending the outcome of South Africa's match against England. Afghanistan's chances of advancing were severely diminished, leaving them on the brink of elimination.