"I would go for Australia" - Former wicket-keeper's bold choice for Team India's 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final opponent 

Former Indian wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik admitted that he would prefer Australia as the semi-final opponent for the Men in Blue in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Steve Smith and Co. finished second in Group B and will face the winners of Group A - the winner of the upcoming contest between India and New Zealand.

India and Australia have squared off consistently in ICC events in the recent past, but never in the semi-final stage. The two heavyweights last faced off each other in the penultimate leg of a competition during the 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia, where India suffered a heavy 95-run loss to be eliminated.

India's other potential semi-final opponent is South Africa, who steamrolled England by seven wickets to confirm their berth as group winners.

Answering a fan query on HeyCB with DK, Dinesh Karthik felt that Australia would be the better opponent in the semi-final stage of the competition.

"India is actually playing well, but if given a preference I would go for Australia," Dinesh Karthik said.

Karthik also shed light on England and Pakistan's early elimination from the tournament. Both sides depart without a single win to their name and now brace for heavy changes amid the uproar over their dismal performances.

"If someone would have told me that Pakistan and England will get eliminated this early in the tournament when I was young. I would never believe it because we know how strong these teams are," Dinesh Karthik said.

England skipper Jos Buttler resigned from his position after the team's loss to Afghanistan in Lahore. Pakistan also failed to make the most of their home advantage, recording a tame loss to New Zealand in the opening match, setting a somber tone for the rest of the campaign.

Team India will face South Africa in the semi-final if they lose to New Zealand

The Men in Blue will be pitted against the Proteas if they suffer a loss to the Blackcaps in Dubai on Sunday, March 2. South Africa, much like Australia, are unbeaten in the tournament so far. They recorded convincing wins over Afghanistan and England in the group stage to finish with a dominant net run rate of +2.395.

India faced South Africa in the semi-finals of their victorious 2002 Champions Trophy campaign in Colombo and during the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.