Due to the tangled scheduling of the Champions Trophy 2025 knockouts, South Africa and Australia will travel to Dubai for a potential match against India in the first semifinal of the tournament.
Australia have already qualified for the semifinals, while South Africa are all but through to the next stage of the tournament. The semifinals are scheduled in different countries with not much of a turnaround gap in between. There is only a two-day gap between the league stage and the semifinals, which makes it important for the teams to travel to Dubai for a potential India face-off.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, Australia are already on their way to the UAE city, while the Proteas will leave for Dubai after the completion of their last group game against England on Saturday, March 1. In case the Proteas somehow miss a spot in the semifinals, Afghanistan, the other team mathematically eligible for a place, will leave for Dubai as soon as possible.
The report added that an ICC official has stated that the decision to send both the teams to the Gulf nation was taken to allow the actual one to get enough time to prepare for the semifinal against India on March 4. However, one of those two will have to return to Pakistan the following day for the second semifinal on March 5, when the line-ups will be confirmed.
While all four semifinalists are all but confirmed, the lineup is still not assured. India will play in the first semifinal in Dubai due to their refusal to play a match in Pakistan. New Zealand will face one of the semifinalists in the second knockout game in Lahore. However, the semifinal line-ups will only be assured when the last group game between India and New Zealand takes place, and the final group standings will be determined then.
This might be the case for the final as well. If India win their semifinal and book a spot in the showdown clash, the final will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, if they lose their last four clash, the final will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
