South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first against debutant Afghanistan in their Champions Trophy 2025 opener.
The players and umpires made their way to the middle as both teams geared up for the contest, beginning with the rendition of their respective national anthems.
South African wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen has been ruled out of the contest due to a left elbow soft tissue injury. The team management has stated that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted that he would have preferred to bat first but remained optimistic about his side’s chances. “We played quality cricket against South Africa in Sharjah and we have quality spinners. Hopefully, we do well and can beat them. I will be happier if we start well, take some wickets in the powerplay, and give momentum to our bowlers in the middle overs,” he stated.
South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma, meanwhile, expressed confidence in his team’s strategy. “We will have a bat first. The pitch looks a bit different from what we have been experiencing here, not sure how it will react. We will try to post a competitive total on the board. I have a lot of confidence in our bowling attack. Today, we have opted for a lone spinner in Tabraiz Shamsi, with the rest being seamers,” he said.
As the two teams lock horns, all eyes will be on their performances in what promises to be a good contest.
Teams:
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad.
South Africa: Ryan Rickelton (w), Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
