Key Indian cricket official arrives in Lahore with family to watch Champions Trophy semi-final

Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Rajeev Shukla, has arrived in Lahore to witness the second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy between South Africa and New Zealand.

According to reports, Shukla, accompanied by his family, will attend the crucial match at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on March 5.

The semi-final will be between South Africa and New Zealand, with heads of the Bangladesh, New Zealand, South African, and Malaysian cricket boards also expected to attend.

Reports state that Shukla will stay in Pakistan for two days before returning to India on March 6.

During his visit, he held a private meeting with national cricketers at a local hotel in Lahore, where Pakistan's star players Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan were also present.

Earlier on Tuesday, India defeated Australia in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 by four wickets, securing a place in the final.

The second semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa will take place today, March 5, at Gaddafi Stadium. The winner will face India in the final at Dubai Cricket Stadium on Sunday, March 9.

Pakistan loses hosting rights for final as India defeat Australia in semi-final

India qualified for the final of the Champions Trophy 2025 after defeating Australia by four wickets in the first semi-final of the tournament on Tuesday.

Australian skipper Steven Smith won the toss and decided to bat first, becoming the top scorer with a steady 73 (96), anchoring the innings, while Alex Carey played an aggressive knock of 61 (57). Travis Head provided a quick start with 39 (33), but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Marnus Labuschagne contributed 29 (36), and Josh Inglis added 11 (12). Glenn Maxwell played a brief cameo of 7 (5), while Ben Dwarshuis, 19 (29), Adam Zampa, 7 (12), and Nathan Ellis, 10 (7), chipped in with small contributions down the order. Tanveer Sangha remained unbeaten on 1 (1).

Australia scored 264 runs in 49.3 overs, losing all wickets.

For India, Mohammed Shami was the standout bowler, picking up three wickets. Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each, while Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya took one wicket each.

India successfully chased down the target of 265, scoring 267/6 in 48.1 overs at a run rate of 5.54. 

Virat Kohli was the star of the chase, anchoring the innings with a brilliant 84 (98), ensuring India stayed on course. Shreyas Iyer provided crucial support with 45 (62), while captain Rohit Sharma contributed 28 (29) at the top. Shubman Gill managed 8 (11) before falling early, and Axar Patel added a valuable 27 (30) in the middle order.

KL Rahul played a composed yet aggressive knock of 42* (34), guiding India home, while Hardik Pandya’s quickfire 28 (24) helped accelerate the chase. Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten on 2 (1) as India sealed the win with 11 balls to spare.

For Australia, Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis took two wickets each, while Cooper Connolly and Adam Zampa picked up one wicket apiece. 

The second semi-final of the Champions Trophy will be played between New Zealand and South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium on March 5.

The winning team will compete against India in Dubai on March 9.