Karachi, Feb. 21 -- South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first against debutant Afghanistan in their Champions Trophy 2025 opener.
The players and umpires made their way to the middle as both teams geared up for the contest, beginning with the rendition of their respective national anthems.
South African wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen has been ruled out of the contest due to a left elbow soft tissue injury. The team management has stated that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted that he would have preferred to bat first but remained optimistic about his side's chances. "We played quality cricket against South Africa in Sharjah and we have quality spinners. Hop...