South Africa opened their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a commanding 107-run victory over Afghanistan in Karachi, Pakistan. The match saw an impressive performance by Ryan Rickelton, who scored his maiden ODI century, helping South Africa set a formidable total of 315-6.
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Rickelton’s Maiden ODI Century
Rickelton anchored South Africa’s innings with a well-crafted 103 off 106 balls, featuring seven boundaries and a six. He received solid support from captain Temba Bavuma (58), Rassie van der Dussen (52), and Aiden Markram (52*), ensuring South Africa posted a strong total after winning the toss.
Afghanistan’s bowling struggled against the Proteas’ solid batting lineup. Mohammad Nabi provided an early breakthrough by dismissing Tony de Zorzi for 11, but Afghanistan failed to contain the South African batters. Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s star leg-spinner, went wicketless, conceding 59 runs in his 10 overs.
Afghanistan’s Struggles with the Chase
Chasing 316, Afghanistan’s batting lineup faltered early. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (10) and Ibrahim Zadran (17) departed cheaply, leaving Afghanistan at 50-4 within the first 10 overs. Rahmat Shah fought hard with a valiant 90 off 92 balls but received little support from the middle order. Kagiso Rabada (3-36), Wiaan Mulder (2-36), and Lungi Ngidi (2-56) led South Africa’s bowling attack, dismantling Afghanistan for just 208 in 43.3 overs.
Despite a brief late flourish from Rashid Khan, who scored 18 off 13 balls, Afghanistan fell well short of the target.
Post-Match Reactions
“It’s a clinical performance,” said South Africa captain Temba Bavuma. “Winning the toss helped, but we executed our batting and bowling plans effectively.”
Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted his team struggled: “Our batting wasn’t up to the mark today. The pitch supported their bowlers, but we’ll bounce back in the upcoming matches.”
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What’s Next in Group B
The ICC Champions Trophy action continues with Australia facing England in Lahore on Saturday. Meanwhile, in Group A, arch-rivals Pakistan and India will lock horns in a highly anticipated match on Sunday. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals.
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