Rehmat Shah fought hard for Afghanistan with a solid 90-run innings, but it wasn’t enough as South Africa secured a commanding victory.
Four out of South Africa’s top five batsmen reached fifty, with one scoring a century. In contrast, only one Afghan batter crossed fifty, while the rest failed to reach even 20 runs. This stark difference defined the match, as Afghanistan struggled in the chase, allowing South Africa to begin their Champions Trophy campaign with a resounding win.
South Africa’s Commanding Victory
In the tournament opener for both teams on Friday, South Africa clinched a 107-run victory at Karachi’s National Stadium. Chasing a target of 316, Afghanistan was bowled out for 208.
This win ended South Africa’s six-match losing streak in ODIs.
Rickelton Shines with a Century
The star of the match was opener Ryan Rickelton. The 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman smashed his maiden ODI century, scoring 103 off 106 balls with seven fours and a six. He later took two catches and was named Player of the Match.
Temba Bavuma (58), Rassie van der Dussen (52), and Aiden Markram (52*) also contributed with fifties, helping South Africa post a formidable total.
For Afghanistan, Rehmat Shah was the lone warrior, scoring 90 off 92 balls before being the last man out. The second-highest individual score was just 18, showing Afghanistan’s struggles.
Rabada Leads the Bowling Attack
South Africa’s bowlers shared the wickets, with Kagiso Rabada leading the attack, taking 3 for 36.
Match Highlights
Winning the toss and opting to bat, South Africa had an early setback as Tony de Zorzi fell in the sixth over to Mohammad Nabi. However, Rickelton and Bavuma built a strong 129-run partnership. Rickelton reached his fifty in 48 balls, while Bavuma took 63 deliveries. The Proteas captain was eventually dismissed for 58 off 76 balls, hitting five boundaries.
Rickelton brought up his century off 101 balls, becoming the fifth South African to score a Champions Trophy ton. His innings ended soon after when he was run out.
Van der Dussen smashed Rashid Khan for a six to complete his fifty in 41 balls. He scored 52 off 46 deliveries before Noor Ahmad dismissed him.
David Miller struggled to accelerate, managing only 14 off 18 balls, but Aiden Markram played a fiery knock, reaching his fifty in just 33 balls—the fastest by a South African in Champions Trophy history. Vian Mulder finished the innings with a four and a six off Fazalhaq Farooqi’s last two deliveries.
For Afghanistan, Nabi was the most successful bowler, picking up two wickets. Rashid Khan, however, went wicketless, conceding 59 runs in his 10 overs.
Afghanistan’s Struggles in the Chase
Afghanistan never looked comfortable in the chase, losing wickets regularly.
- In the fourth over, Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell to Lungi Ngidi while attempting a pull shot.
- In the 10th over, Rabada bowled out Ibrahim Zadran.
- Soon after, Sediqullah Atal was run out, followed by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi’s dismissal for a duck.
At 50/4, Afghanistan was already out of the contest.
Rehmat Shah put up some resistance, forming a 39-run partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai, which was the highest for Afghanistan. However, Omarzai was dismissed by Rabada, and wickets continued to tumble. Rashid Khan’s 18 off 13 balls added some late runs, but Afghanistan never recovered.
The only question remaining was whether Rehmat Shah could reach his century. Unfortunately, he fell short, caught behind off Rabada.
What’s Next?
- South Africa will face Australia in their next match on Tuesday in Rawalpindi.
- Afghanistan will take on England on Wednesday in Lahore.
Match Summary
- South Africa: 315/6 in 50 overs (Rickelton 103, Bavuma 58, Van der Dussen 52, Markram 52*; Nabi 2/51)
- Afghanistan: 208 in 43.3 overs (Rehmat Shah 90; Rabada 3/36, Ngidi 2/56)
Result: South Africa won by 107 runs
Player of the Match: Ryan Rickelton
