Karachi, Feb 21 (IANS) South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma lauded his team’s “clinical performance” as they opened their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a dominant 107-run win over Afghanistan here on Friday. Opting to bat first on an unfamiliar surface, South Africa posted a commanding 315/6, after a maiden ODI century from Ryan Rickelton. The bowlers then delivered a ruthless display, bundling Afghanistan out for 208 in 43.3 overs.
“Clinical performance. We took the brave decision to bat first not knowing about the wicket. We were then clinical with the ball too, closest to one of our best performances. The wicket looked a lot different to what we are used to in Pakistan,” said Bavuma after the match.
Batting first, South Africa posted a competitive 315/6, powered by Ryan Rickelton’s superb 103. The left-hander, in sublime form following his stellar SA20 and New Year’s Test exploits, anchored the innings with a well-paced knock. Contributions from Bavuma (58), Rassie van der Dussen (50), and Aiden Markram (52*) ensured the Proteas set a formidable target.
Set a challenging target of 316, Afghanistan never gained momentum as South Africa’s pacers dictated terms from the outset. Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi set the tone with disciplined lines and sharp bounce, putting Afghanistan under early pressure.
A brief resistance came from Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmat Shah, but Rabada’s return in the 22nd over saw Omarzai glove a short ball to the keeper. Rahmat battled on, compiling a gritty half-century off 62 balls, but as wickets tumbled around him, Afghanistan’s hopes faded.
The crowd came alive when Rashid Khan walked out to bat, entertaining with two sixes and back-to-back fours in a brief 18-run cameo. However, his counterattack was cut short by Keshav Maharaj. Rahmat continued fighting till the end, launching four consecutive boundaries, but he was the last man dismissed for a valiant 90.
“The batters fronted up and we managed to get a good score. There were a lot of cracks and we expected some variable bounce, it was a bit tricky at times. The guys at the back end pride themselves on having a strong finish. With the bowlers, it was about hitting that length hard. We need to do more of the same now against Australia.”
South Africa’s bowling unit executed their plans perfectly, with Rabada leading the way with three wickets, while Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder chipped in with two each.
–IANS
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