Match prediction for Afghanistan vs South Africa Match 3 in Karachi.
The match no. 3 of the Champions Trophy 2025 will have Afghanistan and South Africa taking on each other on February 21. The match is set to take place at the National Stadium in Karachi, with the action kicking off at 2:30 PM IST.
Check out our analysis for the AFG vs SA match with the top betting tips and predictions.
Here are some of the best bets for this Afghanistan vs South Africa match.
South Africa have a full-strength batting unit available and it is one of the most destructive ones. They should win the match on the batting strength. Heinrich Klaasen has found form, scoring 351 runs in the last four ODIs with 11 sixes.
The South African captain has an excellent record in the fifty-over format. Temba Bavuma has over 1700 runs in ODIs at an average of 43. He has scored 106 and 80 in two of the last three innings.
South Africa have Ryan Rickelton, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Aiden Markram, who are all very good hitters. Spin could be an issue but you can back them to hit most sixes.
Venue and Pitch Analysis
National Stadium in Karachi is known for flat pitches with low bounce. Batting can get difficult as the ball becomes softer, with seamers and spinners coming into play. The venue has hosted eight matches in the last three years, with the average first innings score reading 288.
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These two teams have faced each other five times in the fifty-over format, with South Africa winning three games and Afghanistan claiming two.
Afghanistan have been impressive in the last couple of ICC events. In the 2023 World Cup, they had claimed the sixth spot on the table, with victories over England, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Netherlands. Afghanistan have won their last four bilateral ODI assignments, including a historic series win over South Africa. Speaking of this tournament, AM Ghazanfar’s injury was a big blow for them and they have replaced him with Nangeyalia Kharote.
Possible XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Nangeyalia Kharote
The Proteas, who reached the semifinals in the 2023 World Cup and were the runners-up in last year’s T20 World Cup, will be hoping to go all the way here. Their form hasn’t been great, however, losing three out of four bilateral series. In the recent tri-series, they lost both the games against Pakistan and New Zealand. South Africa has also been hampered by injuries, with Anrich Nortje ruled out of the tournament.
Possible XI: Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (w), David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi
Check out the details of where to watch the Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 match.
The win-loss ratio for the team batting first at this ground is 50-50 in the last three years and has stayed similar in the last 46 ODIs. Teams would be looking to have runs on the board. Expect the toss-winning captain to opt to bat first.
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup and favourites to get a better picture of the match.
As per the forecast, Karachi could witness mostly cloudy weather on Friday afternoon but rain is unlikely to be a threat. Later in the evening, the skies are expected to get cleared. The humidity levels will be at around 38%, with wind gusts travelling up to 15 kmph. As for the temperature, it should be around 30 degrees Celsius in the afternoon and around 21 degrees Celsius in the evening.
The bookmakers have South Africa as heavy favourites to win this match with a 71% chance of winning.
Aiden Markram has struggled against Rashid Khan, scoring 15 runs off 31 balls in the fifty-over format and losing his wicket twice.
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