“I think he’ll be struggling” - Steve Smith hints at key Australian batter missing 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal

Australia's opening batter Matt Short will likely miss the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal after sustaining an injury during the washed-out group-stage clash with Afghanistan on Friday, February 28. The Men in Yellow secured passage into the knockouts after rain had the final say at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Short had suffered a quad injury while fielding in the first innings, but despite the setback, he walked out to bat to chase Afghanistan's 274. He scored a 15-ball 20 before Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed him in the fifth over. Australia could play either of the two semifinals, depending on where they finish, which will be finalized after the last group-stage match between India and New Zealand on Sunday, March 2.

If Australia are drawn against India, they will have to travel to Dubai for the knockout clash on March 4. The second semifinal, on the other hand, is scheduled to take place on March 5 in Lahore. Either way, Short is unlikely to recover in time, according to skipper Steve Smith.

"I think he'll be struggling. I think we saw tonight he wasn't moving very well. I think it's probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover," Smith told Prime Sport (via cricket.com.au). We've got a few guys there to come in to fill a job."

Australia were coasting in their run chase before rain interrupted the proceedings on Friday. Chasing 274, they were placed at 109-1 in the 13th over, with Travis Head unbeaten on 59 runs off 40 deliveries. Both teams were awarded a point each after the match was called off.

Australia have multiple options to replace Matt Short at the top of the order

Matt Short had won the race to be Travis Head's opening partner for the Champions Trophy 2025 and he proved his worth with a couple of solid displays. He scored 63 in the historic run chase (352) against England, setting the temp for Josh Inglis and Alex Carey to build on. He has also chipped in with the ball as the part-time spinner, finishing with figures of 0-21 off his seven overs against Afghanistan.

Australia have Jake Fraser-McGurk as their first-choice backup opener. However, he has been struggling for a while. The explosive youngster scored only 11 runs in the two ODIs against Sri Lanka.

Aaron Hardie and Cooper Connolly are also left-field options available in the squad. Their presence gives Australia an extra bowling option in their combination. Hardie has batted as high as No. 3 on select occasions for the national team, while Connolly also played higher up the order in his most recent appearance against Sri Lanka.