India To Play With New Zealand In Champions Trophy 2025 Finals On Sunday

After beating South Africa in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final today at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore, New Zealand has secured a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy final. BlackCaps will meet Team India on Sunday, March 9 at Dubai International Stadium, UAE.

New Zealand defeated South Africa by 50 runs today. New Zealand's innings was bolstered by centuries from Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra, who scored 102 and 108 respectively, setting a formidable target 362 runs.

In reply, Proteas could manage to score 312. Despite David Miller's valiant century, South Africa fell short in their chase of 363 runs.

South Africa's pursuit began promisingly but faltered as they lost wickets during the middle overs. Miller reached his century on the last ball of the match, but it wasn't enough to prevent defeat. Earlier, Williamson and Ravindra's partnership of 164 runs laid a strong foundation for New Zealand.

Key Performances and Milestones

Rachin Ravindra not only contributed with the bat but also took a crucial wicket, marking another impressive performance in an ICC ODI tournament. Meanwhile, Kane Williamson became the first New Zealand batter to surpass 19,000 international runs during his innings.

Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips added valuable runs towards the end of New Zealand's innings. Both players scored 49 each, helping their team cross the 350-run mark. South Africa's bowlers struggled to contain the Kiwi batsmen, with Lungi Ngidi taking three wickets but conceding 72 runs.

South Africa's Struggle in Chase

South Africa started their chase with Ryan Rickelton hitting early boundaries but soon lost momentum after his dismissal. Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen attempted to stabilise the innings but couldn't maintain the required run rate as wickets continued to fall.

The pressure mounted as South Africa needed over eight runs per over with limited wickets in hand. Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram were dismissed cheaply, further denting their chances of reaching the target set by New Zealand.

David Miller's Lone Battle

David Miller fought hard till the end, entertaining spectators with some powerful shots including a six off Glenn Phillips. However, he received little support from other batsmen as Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj were dismissed quickly.

Miller's efforts brought him to a century on what could be his final ODI appearance for South Africa. Despite his heroics, South Africa ended their innings at 313/9, falling short by 50 runs against a disciplined New Zealand side.