"How can South Africa's luck be so bad?" - Aakash Chopra on abandoned SA vs AUS 2025 Champions Trophy clash

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that South Africa were unfortunate that their 2025 Champions Trophy clash against Australia was washed out. He pointed out that the result has made it harder for them to qualify for the semi-finals.

South Africa were supposed to square off against Australia in a 2025 Champions Trophy Group B game in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, February 25. However, persistent rain didn't allow even one ball to be bowled, with both sides resultantly getting a point apiece.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that bad luck beset South Africa once again in an ICC event.

"The Australia-South Africa match was abandoned due to rain. How can South Africa's luck be so bad? Both teams have now had two matches and have registered one win apiece. They are on three points apiece. Both teams have one match left but who is it against?" he said (7:15).

Chopra reckoned that Australia had an easier semi-final path than South Africa.

"South Africa's match is left against England and Australia's match is left against Afghanistan. Australia will play Afghanistan in Lahore. The pitch will be absolutely flat and it will be a relatively weaker opposition if we see from that point of view. If they win that match, they will be through," he reasoned.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that South Africa have a more difficult opponent (England) than Australia (Afghanistan) in their final group game.

"However, South Africa have to play England. Between England and Afghanistan, England are a tougher opposition and it's going to be a do-or-die match, or maybe not as there is another twist in the tale. However, Australia's chances have become brighter. South Africa's chances are not bad but are not very strong as well," Chopra observed.

England will reach the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-finals if they beat Afghanistan and South Africa in their remaining Group B games. Such a result would knock the Proteas out of the tournament unless Afghanistan beat Australia in their final game, with the second semi-finalists from the group being decided on net run rate if that happens.

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"They might qualify even if they remain on 3 points" - Aakash Chopra on South Africa's 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final hopes

The England-South Africa clash on March 1 will be the final Group B game in the 2025 Champions Trophy. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that South Africa would qualify for the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy even if they lose to England, given that Afghanistan beat Jos Buttler and company and lose to Australia.

"Interestingly enough, they (South Africa) might qualify even if they remain on three points. That is also a possibility. Afghanistan could beat England and lose to Australia. Then even if England beat them, both England and Afghanistan will have two points," he said (8:30).

Aakash Chopra refrained from commenting on Mohammad Kaif's social media post questioning why the Rawalpindi ground wasn't fully covered when it was raining on Tuesday. He pointed out that a judgment could have been made only if the rain had stopped as the drainage system at the venue might have been as good as that of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.