Australia opener ruled out of Champions Trophy, replacement named

Cricket Australia (CA) has named all-rounder Cooper Connolly as the replacement for the injured opener Matthew Short in their squad ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final.

Connolly was initially named as Australia’s travelling reserve in the multi-nation tournament.

Matthew Short injured his calf while fielding during Australia’s rain-hit clash against Afghanistan. Although he batted in the run chase and made quick fire 20, he appeared to be in discomfort during his brief stay at the crease.

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The ICC Event Technical Committee has approved Connolly’s inclusion in Australia’s squad.

While speaking in a post-match presentation, Australia skipper Steve Smith had stated about the opener’s injury status, mentioning that he may not recover in time.

“I think he’ll be struggling. We saw tonight that he wasn’t moving very well, and I think it’s probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover,” said Smith.

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Copper Connolly has represented Australia in three One-Day Internationals. Due to his ability to bowl spin, he could go straight into the playing XI for the semi-final against India.

It is pertinent to note that Australia has another opener, Jake Fraser-McGurk, in their squad. However, due to the conditions in Dubai favouring spinners, he might not play in the all-important encounter.

Australia squad for Champions Trophy 2025:

Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa.

Read: Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finalists confirmed after India humbles New Zealand