In a sun-drenched afternoon at the National Stadium in Karachi, South Africa opened their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a commanding 107-run victory over Afghanistan. The Proteas, winners of the inaugural ICC Knockout—the tournament’s spiritual predecessor—set the tone early and maintained their dominance throughout the match.

Rickelton’s Maiden Ton Powers South Africa to 315

Opting to bat first, South Africa posted a formidable 315/6, thanks to a magnificent century from Ryan Rickelton. His 103 was the backbone of the innings, complemented by fluent half-centuries from Rassie van der Dussen (52), Aiden Markram (52*), and Temba Bavuma (58).

The innings started with Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi putting on a quick 28-run stand before Mohammad Nabi, one of the few players making a Champions Trophy debut at age 40+, struck with his first delivery to remove de Zorzi. Undeterred, Rickelton built solid partnerships, with Bavuma playing a supporting role, ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking.

Afghanistan faced a setback when swing bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi left the field due to discomfort but later returned to bowl at the death. Despite Nabi’s disciplined spell (2-51), South Africa capitalized in the middle overs. Rickelton reached his maiden ODI century in 101 balls before falling to a sharp run-out by Rashid Khan.

With 15 overs left, South Africa were at 201/3, but with Heinrich Klaasen sidelined due to injury, the middle order had to step up. Van der Dussen and Markram took charge, ensuring no slowdown in the run rate. Van der Dussen returned to form with a brisk 41-ball fifty, while Markram’s aggressive 36-ball 52* propelled South Africa beyond the 300-run mark.

Afghanistan Struggle in the Chase

Chasing 316 was always going to be an uphill battle for Afghanistan, whose highest successful chase stood at 286. Their innings began on a shaky note as Lungi Ngidi dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz early with a sharp short ball. Kagiso Rabada soon followed up with a peach of a delivery, uprooting Ibrahim Zadran’s middle stump.

By the 15th over, Afghanistan found themselves in deep trouble at 51/4. Marco Jansen’s direct hit sent Sediqullah Atal back to the pavilion, while Wiaan Mulder accounted for Hashmatullah Shahidi, who fell for a four-ball duck. With Rabada (3-36) and Jansen picking up wickets at regular intervals, Afghanistan slumped further to 120/6.

Despite the collapse, Rahmat Shah fought valiantly, playing a composed knock of 90 off 92 balls, laced with nine boundaries and a six. His lone resistance helped reduce the margin of defeat before he was eventually dismissed, bringing the innings to an end in the 44th over.

Scorecard:

South Africa Innings:

• Ryan Rickelton 103 (101)
• Temba Bavuma 58 (76)
• Rassie van der Dussen 52 (41)
• Aiden Markram 52* (36)
• Tony de Zorzi 14 (14)
• David Miller 12 (10)
• Marco Jansen 9* (7)

Extras: 15
Total: 315/6 in 50 overs
Fall of Wickets: 28-1, 157-2, 201-3, 227-4, 250-5, 307-6

Afghanistan Innings:

• Rahmat Shah 90 (92)
• Ibrahim Zadran 17 (28)
• Azmatullah Omarzai 22 (19)
• Najibullah Zadran 19 (25)
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz 8 (10)
• Mohammad Nabi 13 (15)
• Rashid Khan 11 (12)

Extras: 18
Total: 208 all out in 43.3 overs
Fall of Wickets: 12-1, 29-2, 51-3, 51-4, 87-5, 120-6, 153-7, 180-8, 208-9, 208-10

Match Summary:

South Africa 315/6 in 50 overs (Ryan Rickelton 103, Aiden Markram 52*, Rassie van der Dussen 52; Mohammad Nabi 2-51)
Afghanistan 208 in 43.3 overs (Rahmat Shah 90; Kagiso Rabada 3-36, Wiaan Mulder 2-36)
Result: South Africa won by 107 runs