ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): In what can be well described as a battle of contrasting styles, Afghanistan and face South Africa play each other in the third match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the National Stadium in Karachi today (February 21).
This match marks another proud moment for Afghanistan, who are making their debut in the prestigious tournament.
Now a competitive force in limited-overs format, Afghanistan will be eager to prove they deserve to be on the big stage. The nation has established themselves as a tough competitor in recent years.
Both teams will be desperate to start their campaign on a strong note.
World-class spin attack and an aggressive batting approach led the team to rise in international cricket. Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad will be crucial in exploiting conditions in Karachi, while the likes of Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz will shoulder responsibility with the bat.
This will be a battle of contrasting styles, with Afghanistan’s spin-dominated approach set to challenge South Africa’s pace-oriented attack.
Despite having a new entrant in the world cricket arena, Afghanistan have performed well. Both teams have faced each other five times in ODIs, with South Africa winning three matches and Afghanistan emerging victorious in two.
Though the Proteas have historically held the edge, Afghanistan’s recent performances suggest that they are closing the gap.
Afghanistan won two matches in the last five encounters that highlights the growing competitiveness of Afghanistan on the global stage. This also makes the upcoming clash with South Africa an intriguing contest.
Afghanistan’s qualification for Champions Trophy
Afghanistan’s qualification for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was their direct entry due to finishing sixth in the 2023 World Cup.
Since they continued their upward trajectory, winning four consecutive bilateral ODI series.
Their most recent meeting in the 2023 World Cup saw Afghanistan dominate South Africa with a 69-run victory. Before that, South Africa had a commanding record, winning three consecutive encounters. However, Afghanistan’s first-ever victory over the Proteas in 2009 proved they had the potential to compete against the world’s best.
