New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first in the second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Skipper Mitchell Santner decided to put runs on the board, trusting his batting unit to set a challenging total.
South Africa finished Group A as the table-toppers, while New Zealand finished second in Group B.
After winning the toss, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said, “We are going to have a bat first. It looks like a good wicket, a bit dry. I’m privileged to captain my country, and for us, it’s about playing good cricket. We have the same team. The last game was in foreign conditions, but we have played a few games here in the tri-series. We will try to play good cricket and put pressure on them.”
South African captain Temba Bavuma said, “We are not too concerned, but the preference would have been to bat. Our bowlers need to bowl well, and then our batters need to do the job. Just one change—I’m back in the team, feeling much better. We have learned from past semi-finals and finals. Winning the key moments will be crucial. We have put in a lot of work and have a lot of confidence. It’s just another game for us, regardless of it being a semi-final.”
South Africa (Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (w), David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
New Zealand (Playing XI): Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke.
