Afghanistan vs South Africa – Match Details
- Match: Afghanistan vs South Africa, ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (Group B)
- Date: Thursday, February 21, 2025
- Venue: National Bank Stadium, Karachi
- Time: 2:30 IST
Afghanistan will take on South Africa in the third match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Thursday, February 21. The match is set to take place at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi. This will be the first Group B match during the tournament. The South African team has become quite successful in ICC events recently. Starting from making it into the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final and after that into the T20 World Cup final last year, South Africa is seeking redemption for both occasions she tasted ultimate defeat. There was another disappointing finish while they ended their tri-nation series in Pakistan, but they remain one of the favored sides.
Afghanistan is stepping into the Champions Trophy against South Africa after their incredible run in the ODI format, and they are also making their debut in the tournament. Their performance in the 2023 World Cup in India was excellent too. Led by Hasmatullah Shahidi, they became back-to-back series winners on each of their four ODI treks, including a 2-1 victory over the mighty South Africans. After the performances put up in that duration, Afghanistan will be high on confidence as they enter into the tournament to find a way to catch several teams off guard.
Weather:
The weather in Karachi is expected to be partly cloudy on February 21, but rain is unlikely to interrupt the match. There is only a 3% chance of rain, so conditions should remain favorable for a full game.
- Temperature: 30°C during the day, dropping to 17°C at night
- Humidity: Up to 48%
- Wind Speed: 10-15 km/h
Overall, weather conditions should be ideal for a competitive cricket match.
Pitch Report:
The pitch at National Bank Stadium in Karachi is balanced, offering assistance to both batters and bowlers.
- Batting Conditions: The pitch has good bounce, allowing batters to play their shots freely. The surface usually improves for batting as the game progresses.
- Bowling Conditions: Fast bowlers get some early movement with the new ball. Spinners may come into play later in the innings.
- Average 1st Innings Score: 246 (though recent matches have seen higher totals)
- Chasing Advantage: Teams prefer to bowl first, as chasing sides have had slightly better success on this ground.
Teams winning the toss might opt to bowl first, considering the pitch conditions and historical data.
Head to Head:
Afghanistan and South Africa have faced each other five times in ODI cricket.
- South Africa Wins: 3
- Afghanistan Wins: 2
Although South Africa holds the edge in their head-to-head record, Afghanistan’s recent win over them in a bilateral series suggests that this contest could be closely fought.
Both teams have strong motivations coming into this match. South Africa aims to overcome their past ICC tournament disappointments, while Afghanistan seeks to make a mark in their first-ever Champions Trophy appearance. With the pitch favoring balanced gameplay and weather unlikely to interfere, cricket fans can expect an exciting clash between these two sides.
Who do you think will win this match? Let us know in the comments!
