Playing their first-ever ICC Champions Trophy, the Afghanistan national cricket team are gearing up to play their historic match against the South Africa national cricket team. The Afghanistan vs South Africa is scheduled to be the third overall game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and the first one for teams in Group B. Other than debutants Afghanistan and South Africa, the other two teams in the group are giants England and Australia. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: 12 Umpires, Three Match Referees Named As Tournament Officials.

Besides Bangladesh, Afghanistan are the only team in this eight-nation tournament to have not played an ODI recently. The last time they played in the 50-over format was in December when they locked horns with Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series, winning it 2-0. Playing white-ball cricket after two months and debuting in the mega event at the same time is going to be a tough job for the underdogs.

The South Africa cricket team are the favourites for the fixture. They are entering with a well-balanced side like always. The Proteas are playing in the tournament after a recently concluded tri-nation series in Pakistan, where they lost both games against New Zealand and Pakistan. They would be eager to get back to winning ways before facing the biggies.

AFG vs SA Head-To-Head Record in ODIs

Afghanistan and South Africa have faced each other in only five One-Day Internationals till now. Out of these, the Afghans have secured two wins and the Proteas have won three games. All five ODIs have been played in neutral venues.

AFG vs SA ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Match Key Players
Temba Bavuma
Rashid Khan
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Kagiso Rabada
Gulbadin Naib
David Miller

AFG vs SA ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Match Key Battles

Captain Temba Bavuma has been inconsistent with the bat. Afghanistan would like to take his wicket early and not let him set. This might mean that they can try their star spinner Rashid Khan in the early overs to lure him to hit and get caught.

Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz is known for his fierce batting, he will look to increase the run rate right from the start, so ace bowler Kagiso Rabada has to be effective with the new ball to get him early, probably in a miss-and-hit situation. Gulbadin Naib should be one of those bowlers Afghanistan would try both in the middle and death overs, and David Miller would like to hunt him for runs. Naib needs to stay good with his economy.

AFG vs SA ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Venue and Match Timings

The Afghanistan national cricket team vs South Africa national cricket team ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi. The much-awaited clash will be played on February 21 and will begin at 2:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time). Pakistan vs Afghanistan Rivalry is More Intense Than India vs Afghanistan, Says Gulbadin Naib Ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

AFG vs SA ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Match Live Telecast and Online Streaming

In India, JioStar Network has the official broadcasting rights for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Fans can watch the live telecast of the Afghanistan vs South Africa match on the Star Sports and Sports 18 channels in several regional languages. The digital rights for the Champions Trophy 2025 are also with the JioStar Network. The live streaming of the Afghanistan vs South Africa Group B match will be on the JioHotstar app and website.

AFG vs SA ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Match Likely XI

Afghanistan National Cricket Team Likely XI:Ā  Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmed, Fazalhaq Farooqi

South AfricaĀ National Cricket Team Likely XI:Ā Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 20, 2025 01:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).