Australia suffers a big blow, a dangerous player gets injured, and will not play in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy!

After the match against Afghanistan was canceled due to rain, Australia's team has made it to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy 2025. Along with the good news received in this match in Lahore, it has also suffered a big blow. Actually, the team's stormy batsman and opener Matthew Short has been injured. It seems impossible for him to play in the semi-finals. Captain Steve Smith himself has given this information. Revealing the injury during the post-match presentation, he said that it seems difficult for Short to recover.

Shorts are unable to run

On 28 February, a match was played between Australia and Afghanistan at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The Kangaroo team got a chance to field in the first innings. At the end of this innings, Matthew Short got injured. Captain Steve Smith told after the match that he is not able to run properly at the moment. Smith said, 'I think he is struggling. We saw tonight that he was not able to run properly. I think it will be difficult for him to recover between matches. But we have some players who can come and fill his void.'

ICC has also informed through its official website that Short is injured and he is having problem in his leg. Let us tell you that despite the injury in the first innings, Matthew Short came on the field to chase the score of 274 runs. Short, famous for his deadly batting, opened with Travis Head. During this time, he was having a lot of trouble in scoring runs. That is why he was trying to hit boundaries. Supporting Head, he hit 20 runs in 15 balls and returned to the pavilion. He shared a 44-run partnership for the first wicket in just 4.3 overs.

Who will replace Short?

Jake Fraser McGurk is present in the Australian squad. In such a situation, if Short does not play, then McGurk can be a good option for opening. However, this will not give the Kangaroo team the option of spin bowling, because McGurk does not bowl like Short. According to the report, if Short is officially ruled out of the tournament, then left-handed batsman and left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly can be included in the team in his place. He has currently been kept as a traveling reserve.