South Africa set a target of 316 for Afghanistan after posting 315/6 in 50 overs in Karachi.

Aiden Markram powered the finish with an unbeaten 52 off 36, while Wiaan Mulder added 12* off 6.

Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai book took a wicket each but proved expensive. Afghanistan now faces a challenging chase under lights.

South Africa saw 3 wickets fall in the final 10 overs of the innings, with Rahmat Shah taking a brilliant catch for David Miller's wicket.

South Africa posted 285/4 in 47 overs after choosing to bat against Afghanistan in Karachi.

Aiden Markram remains unbeaten on 35, playing a quick innings towards the end, alongside David Miller (14*), as they push the scoring rate past 6 runs per over.

Rassie van der Dussen struck a crucial 52 off 46 before falling to Noor Ahmad. Afghanistan’s bowlers have struggled, with Noor conceding 65 runs in 9 overs. With three overs left, South Africa eyes a strong finish.

South Africa reached 205/3 in 36 overs after Ryan Rickelton's brilliant innings, scoring 103 off 106 balls.

However, Afghanistan made the breakthrough after Rickelton was run-out in the 35th over.

Rassie van der Dussen is unbeaten on 22, while Aiden Markram is yet to score.

Mohammad Nabi (2/48) and Rashid Khan (0/32) have bowled key spells, with Afghanistan aiming to limit SA's final total.

South Africa is building strongly towards a high score, as the team reached 170/2 in 30 overs after opting to bat against Afghanistan in Karachi.

Ryan Rickelton remains unbeaten on 89 off 87, pushing the scoring rate above 5.5. Temba Bavuma contributed 58 before falling to Mohammad Nabi, who has taken both wickets so far.

Rassie van der Dussen is on 6*, looking to accelerate in the final 20 overs.

Before his dismissal, both Bavuma and Rickelton had built a solid partnership of 100+.

South Africa remains in control at 136/1 after 25 overs against Afghanistan in Karachi.

Ryan Rickelton is closing in on a century with 75 off 76 balls, while skipper Temba Bavuma holds firm at 50 off 63.

Afghanistan’s bowlers, including Gulbadin Naib and Noor Ahmad, have struggled to make inroads, with South Africa scoring at a steady 5.44 run rate.

With a strong platform set, the Proteas will look to accelerate in the second half of their innings.

South Africa has made a steady start after opting to bat first against Afghanistan in Karachi.

At 74/1 in 14 overs, skipper Temba Bavuma (19*) and Ryan Rickelton (40*) have kept the scoreboard ticking, with Rickelton looking the more aggressive of the two.

Afghanistan's bowlers have struggled to find an early breakthrough, with Azmatullah Omarzai proving expensive, conceding 27 runs in his four overs.

Rashid Khan has just been introduced into the attack and will look to break the growing partnership as South Africa eyes a strong total.

South African duo has stitched together a 46-run partnership after Tony de Zorzi fell for 11 in the fifth over, by Mohammad Nabi.

South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first against Afghanistan in Group B opener of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.

Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad.

South Africa: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

Head-to-Head

Afghanistan and South Africa have met five times in ODIs, with the Proteas holding a 3-2 advantage. This will be their first encounter in an ICC Champions Trophy tournament.

• Matches Played: 5
• Afghanistan Wins: 2
• South Africa Wins: 3

Eager to start strong, Afghanistan will face South Africa, who are coming off a disappointing loss in a tri-series against Pakistan and New Zealand.

Under the leadership of Temba Bavuma, the Proteas are determined to shake off their long-standing struggles in ICC tournaments and make a powerful start in the Champions Trophy.

In terms of conditions, Karachi experienced cooler temperatures overnight, with Thursday night being noticeably chillier compared to previous days, as reported by Express News. There is little chance of rain, making the weather generally favorable for the game.

As for the pitch, the National Stadium is traditionally known to favor batters, particularly during the early stages of the game.

However, as the ball ages, the pitch tends to slow down, making stroke play more difficult. In recent matches, such as the one between Pakistan and New Zealand, the sluggish nature of the pitch in the second innings forced batters to adjust, with spinners playing an increasingly significant role.

Although dew can sometimes assist batters, the opening match of the tournament saw minimal dew, further slowing down the pitch and making it harder to score runs.