Afghanistan may be faced with some off-field distractions in Pakistan with Group B rivals England and South Africa being urged to boycott their matches.
Jamie Overton hit a 28-ball 32 down the order to keep England in the hunt.
Australia's historic pedigree in cricket's biggest tournaments will count for nothing when they run into an Afghanistan side that is fast cementing its place in the game's top table in the Champions Trophy match in Lahore on Friday.
Joe Root's century in vain as England were shown the door.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
The tournament was decorated with several impactful players and 12 of them have made it to the ICC Champions Trophy Team of the Tournament.
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar led the cricket world in showering praise on Afghanistan after their stunning eight-run victory over England in the Champions Trophy, saying their wins "can't be termed as upsets anymore".
Bleeding runs in the death overs and failing to offer adequate support to Joe Root cost England dearly, captain Jos Buttler said after their elimination from the Champions Trophy following an eight-run loss to Afghanistan on Wednesday.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board said the final 15-member squad will be announced at the end of a week-long preparatory camp in Greater Noida.
Teenage Afghanistan off-spinner AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of both the ICC Champions Trophy and the IPL due to a lower back fracture.
Virat Kohli continues to prove why he is one of the greatest ODI batters of all time, moving up to the fourth spot with 747 rating points in the latest ICC ODI rankings.
Defeat will severely dent both the teams' dreams of a semi-final berth in the tournament, as South Africa and Australia have already notched two points.
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Noor Ahmad will join Rashid and Nabi in Afghanistan's formidable spin attack, which is likely to be key to their performance in the 20-team tournament.
Embattled England captain Jos Buttler will spend the next few weeks analyzing whether he is "part of the problem or the solution" before taking a call on his future as the team's leader following the Champions Trophy ouster after a stunning defeat to Afghanistan.
Images from the ICC Champions League Group B match between Afghanistan and Australia in Lahore, on Friday.
Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran said dew made life difficult for his bowlers and fielders during India's run chase in the first T20 International.
A flawless maiden hundred from opener Ryan Rickelton helped South Africa crush Afghanistan by 107 runs.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji list the 50 Most Valuable Players in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
PHOTOS from a memorable chase and a famous win...
Australia will be without their premier pacers but their envious pedigree in ICC tournaments make them favourites to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy from Group B.
Jaiswal accomplished this milestone during his side's second T20I match against Sri Lanka at Pallekele.
Premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan was on Saturday picked in a 19-member Afghanistan squad, to be led by young Ibrahim Zadran, for the three T20 Internationals against India starting on January 11 in Mohali.
Following the match, Australian batsman Usman Khawaja took to social media to congratulate Afghanistan on their well-deserved win.
The two teams last met in the ODI World Cup in 2023. It was in Mumbai where Glenn Maxwell had played a once-in-a-generation knock to notch up a sensational double hundred while battling cramps all over his body, with Pat Cummins in tow who provided sturdy support from the other end.
Images from the T20 World Cup semi-final between Afghanistan and South Africa, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy ground in Trinidad, on Thursday.
Middle-order batter Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the side.
Pant breaks into top-10, Rohit, Kohli slip
Hosts West Indies and Afghanistan will indulge in a battle of one upmanship and strive to gain momentum for the Super Eight stage.
Afghanistan created history by trouncing Pakistan for the first time in ODIs, winning by 8 wickets.
Former Afghan captain Ashgar Afghan heaps praise on Rashid Khan and the team's exposure to difficult wickets for their unprecedented success in the T20 World Cup.
New Zealand find themselves in the a difficult group with two-time champions West Indies and Afghanistan also vying for the the top two spots.
Afghanistan rode on a late cameo from skipper Rashid Khan to post 115 for 5 against Bangladesh in their concluding T20 World Cup Super Eight match in St Vincent on Tuesday. His 10-ball 19, which included 3 sixes, enabled the team put up a respectable total after Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran got Afghanistan off to a slow, but steady start.
Afghanistan, Australia and Bangladesh are in the running for a place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Shivam Dube proved his utility in India's crowded batting line-up with a belligerent half-century to secure their six-wicket victory against Afghanistan in the opening T20 International in Mohali on Thursday.
Shivam Dube smashed a quickfire half-century to power India to a thumping six-wicket victory against Afghanistan in the first T20 International.
Virat Kohli will be expected to hit his straps after a lean run
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan praised the team's collective display after they claimed an emphatic 84-run victory over New Zealand.
A one-on-one chat with the Master Blaster inspired 21-year-old opener Ibrahim Zadran to become the first player from Afghanistan to record a hundred in a World Cup match.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran shared an opening stand of 118 to drive Afghanistan to a stunning 21-run win over Australia.
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