Lahore: South Africa and New Zealand will lock horns in the second ICC Champions Trophy semifinal at Gaddafi Stadium here on Wednesday, with both sides aiming to break past their history of heartbreaks at this stage of ICC tournaments.
South Africa, known for their dominant performances throughout the tournament, have entered their third ICC semifinal since 2023, displaying remarkable consistency across all departments.
The Proteas have been led by the prolific Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen, who have been in sublime form with the bat, while the return of Heinrich Klaasen adds further firepower to the middle order. However, Keshav Maharaj will be under pressure to deliver with the ball after a relatively quiet run in the tournament.
New Zealand, on the other hand, started the tournament on a strong note but faced a setback against India in the last Group A match. Their top order struggled against the Indian bowling attack, with Kane Williamson being the lone warrior as none of the other top-five batsmen managed to score beyond 20 runs. Captain Mitchell Santner will be banking on Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham, and the rest of the squad to step up in this crunch encounter.
Both teams have had their fair share of semifinal woes in ICC events. South Africa, in particular, have endured heartbreaks, having reached five ODI World Cup semifinals, three in the T20 World Cup, and five in the ICC Champions Trophy, but winning just two of them. The Proteas will be eager to break the jinx and secure a berth in the final.
The match will also see a contest between two potent bowling attacks. Marco Jansen and Matt Henry have been instrumental in their respective teams' success, delivering crucial breakthroughs with fiery spells. With the stakes high, their ability to strike early and control the game in the middle overs could prove decisive.
Dussen, South Africa's leading run-scorer among active players since his debut in 2019, remains a key figure in the batting lineup. His ability to handle pressure was evident in the ICC ODI World Cup last time, where he smashed a match-winning 133 against New Zealand.
With both teams eyeing a place in the final, the semifinal clash is expected to be a riveting battle of skill, strategy, and composure. Execution will be key as the teams brace for a contest that could define their tournament campaign.
Teams:
New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (WK), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O'Rourke, Nathan Smith, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Devon Conway.
South Africa: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch.
