 "'Was nervous today': Ryan Rickelton reflects on match-winning knock; Afghanistan captain rues poor batting")
Afghanistan were blown away by Ryan Rickelton’s hundred as the opener smashed 103 off 106 and guided South Africa to a 107-run win over Afghanistan in their Champions Trophy 2025 opener on Saturday at Karachi. Besides Rickelton, Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen also made fifties as South Africa scored an imposing 315 in the first innings after winning the toss.
Afghanistan were dismissed for just 208 with Rahmat Shah (90) being the only batter to score more than 20 runs. Kagiso Rabada was South Africa’s top pick among bowlers, taking three wickets.
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Reflecting on his match-winning innings, Rickelton said he was a “bit edgy” on his ICC event debut but worked through the pressure and inconsistent bounce to deliver a Player of the Match performance.
“Was nervous coming into today, first ICC event,” Rickelton said after the match. “Was a bit edgy but happy to contribute to the team in a winning performance. We thought the surface would be a bit tacky, but it played alright. The bounce was a bit inconsistent but we worked our way through it. I thought we played nicely with the batting we had in the tank to get a competitive total on the board.”
Shahidi says Afghanistan were poor in batting
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted that his team was below par in batting. With each team playing just three group games to qualify for the semi-finals , even one defeat can be detrimental.
“I think we were not good enough while batting,” Shahidi said. “The pitch was helping them in the second innings, but the way we batted in the first 20 overs wasn’t up to the mark. I think the toss was key today, there were many cracks on this pitch. Wasn’t a typical Karachi pitch. Their bowlers though bowled disciplined lengths.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHe added that Afghanistan can bounce back in the tournament. “My expectation was to play well, we have achieved a lot and we have the ability to fight everywhere. We have some important games left, we will forget today and look to move forward.”
Afghanistan’s next match is against England on 26 February in Lahore.
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