South Africa will start their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign today (February 21). The Proteas will take on Afghanistan, who have made history by qualifying for the first time. The match will be held at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan.
AFG vs SA: Head-to-Head
Afghanistan and South Africa have played 5 ODI matches so far; and the results may surprise you. Afghanistan, who are considered underdogs, have won 2 of those ODIs while South Africa won 3.
Their last encounter between these two teams was in September 2024. South Africa won the match by 7 wickets. However, the Afghan team won the 3-ODI series 2-1.
AFG vs SA: AI Prediction
Let’s see what AI is predicting about today’s Afghanistan vs South Africa match at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
ChatGPT says, “South Africa starts as favourites, but if Rashid Khan and Co. can get early wickets, an upset is on the cards. If South Africa bats first and scores above 280, Afghanistan might find it difficult to chase. 80% chance of a South African victory, but Afghanistan could cause a surprise if their spinners dominate.”
“Afghanistan to win a close contest. Their spinners, led by Rashid Khan, are likely to outmanoeuvre South Africa’s middle order, and Gurbaz’s aggressive start could set the tone. Expect a high-scoring game, with Afghanistan prevailing by a narrow margin (e.g., 10-20 runs or 3-5 wickets),” says Grok.
Google Gemini predicts, “This is a very close call. While South Africa might be considered favourites due to their experience and batting depth, Afghanistan has the momentum and the spin attack to cause an upset. I predict a closely contested match, and the outcome could go either way. It might come down to how well Afghanistan’s spinners perform and whether South Africa can handle their variations.”
AFG vs SA: Fantasy team
Batters: Temba Bavuma, Ibrahim Zadran, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Hashmatullah Shahidi
All-rounders: Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder
Bowlers: Rashid Khan (C), Kagiso Rabada, Noor Ahmad, Tabraiz Shamsi, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Wicketkeepers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Heinrich Klaasen (VC)
AFG vs SA: Who’ll win?
According to Khel Now, South Africa will win. CricTracker predicts that the team batting first will win the match. Google Match Prediction says South Africa have a 68% chance of winning. However, we believe Afghanistan will shock the Proteas.
