The third match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 will feature a clash between South Africa and Afghanistan. Afghanistan has emerged as a formidable team in recent ICC tournaments, proving that their victories are not upsets but well-earned wins. On the other hand, South Africa has a strong track record but faced disappointment in a recent tri-series, where they failed to win a single match. While South Africa will aim to put that setback behind them, Afghanistan will seek to build on their impressive recent performances.
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AFG vs SA at National Bank Stadium, Karachi
The match will take place at National Bank Stadium in Karachi, starting at 2:30 PM IST. This venue hosted the tournament’s opening match, where New Zealand dominated the host Pakistan with a convincing win. New Zealand posted 320 runs, while Pakistan struggled to chase and got all out for 260. This indicates that although Karachi’s pitch favors batsmen, reckless batting can still put a team in trouble.
Pitch Conditions: Early Assistance for Pacers
Karachi’s pitch generally supports batting, but fast bowlers get assistance early on, and spinners come into play during the middle overs. However, due to dew in the second innings, bowling becomes challenging, making run-chases easier.
So far, 79 ODIs have been played at this venue:
- 37 matches have been won by teams batting first.
- 39 matches have been won by teams chasing.
- The average first-innings score is 240, but any total below 300 could be difficult to defend.
Also Read- ICC Champions Trophy 2025- Schedule, Teams, Groups, Matches, Timings, Venue
Given these conditions, the team winning the toss is likely to bowl first. In the opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand, Pakistan made several mistakes while chasing, leading to their defeat. Both Afghanistan and South Africa will aim to avoid such errors and put on a solid performance.
This will be Afghanistan’s first-ever Champions Trophy match, and they will look to make it a memorable start.