Karachi: Ryan Rickelton’s maiden ODI century powered South Africa to a comprehensive 107-run victory over Afghanistan in their opening encounter of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy at the National Stadium here on Friday.
Opting to bat first, South Africa posted a formidable 315/6 in 50 overs, built on Rickelton’s fluent 103 off 106 balls, well-supported by half-centuries from Rassie van der Dussen (52 off 46) and Aiden Markram (52 off 36). The Afghan spinners struggled to contain the Proteas’ batting charge despite Mohammad Nabi’s early breakthrough.
Chasing 316, Afghanistan faltered against South Africa’s disciplined bowling attack, folding for 208 in 43.3 overs. The Proteas’ pacers Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada struck early, dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz (10) and Ibrahim Zadran (17) cheaply. Afghanistan’s hopes suffered a major blow when captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was dismissed for a duck by Wiaan Mulder, leaving them reeling at 50/4. Rahmat Shah (90 off 92, 9x4s 1×6) fought valiantly but found little support from the other end as wickets tumbled at regular intervals.
Rabada (3/36) led the attack with tight lines, while Mulder’s (2/36) cutters and Keshav Maharaj’s (1/46) controlled spin further stifled Afghanistan’s chase.
This defeat adds to Afghanistan’s struggles in chasing 250-plus targets in ODIs, having now lost 10 out of 14 such attempts since 2022. The 107-run margin also ranks among their heaviest defeats in ICC ODI tournaments.
With this commanding win, South Africa have begun their campaign on a strong note and will look to carry forward the momentum in their upcoming fixtures.
UNI
