South Africa vs New Zealand Prediction: Who’ll win today’s semi-final in Lahore?

South Africa vs New Zealand: On Wednesday, March 5, New Zealand (NZ) and South Africa (SA) will play in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Semi-Final 2 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

In the respected tournament for which they are known, the Kiwis have played a tactical style of cricket. The team won two of their three games and placed second in Group A. They defeated Bangladesh by five wickets and Pakistan by 60 runs, respectively. In their final league match in Dubai, they lost by 44 runs to India, which was their only loss. Nevertheless, the team will be moving on from that loss and anticipating the next match. The Mitchell Santner-led team had faced the Proteas at this exact ground and won by six wickets in the Pakistan Tri-Nation Series, which was played prior to the Champions Trophy.

On the other hand, the South African team has advanced to the tournament’s next round with ease. The team had two victories in the group stage and one match against Australia finished in a draw. With five points in the end, the team is in a strong position. The side is dealing with some injury issues, though, as star batsman Aiden Markram hurt his right hamstring playing against England, and George Linde was called in to cover for him on the eve of the match. Both opener Tony de Zorzi and captain Temba Bavuma have made a full recovery from their illnesses and are anticipated to play in the forthcoming match.

Match Details

Match: South Africa vs New Zealand (SA vs NZ) 2nd Semi-final match

Event: 14th Match, ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Time: 2:30 PM

Venue: Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore (Pakistan)

Broadcasting: Live on Star Sports, JioHotstar and Network 18 channels

Pitch Report:

The second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 between South Africa and New Zealand is expected to provide an excellent batting surface at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. The batsman benefits from the surface’s great carry and steady bounce.

On the other hand, fast bowlers could initially struggle. In the final phases, spinners might be crucial. The event has so far featured high-scoring matches at the location. Here, teams that bat first have also won the most.

South Africa vs New Zealand: Who’ll win?

New Zealand is the favorite, according to One Cricket. According to Finebook247, the team that bowls first will win. The odds of the Proteas winning are 54%, according to Google Match Prediction. In a significant ICC competition, we predict that South Africa will lose another semi-final.

South Africa vs New Zealand Head-to-Head Records:

Total Matches: 73

South Africa Wins: 42

New Zealand Wins: 26

No Result: 5

Tied: 0

New Zealand (NZ):

Mitchell Santner (C), Tom Latham (wk), WA Young, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, DJ Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips, MJ Henry, William O’Rourke, and KA Jamieson

South Africa (SA):

RD Rickelton (wk), H Klaasen, T Bavuma (C), AK Markram, HE van der Dussen, KA Maharaj, DA Miller, M Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, K Rabada, and L Ngidi

IND vs AUS Match Prediction, Playing 11, Semi Final-1, Match Preview

India vs Australia, 1st Semi-Final – Match Information

Match: IND vs AUS, 1st Semi-Final

Date: 4th March 2025

Time: 02:30 PM IST

Venue: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai

1st Semi-Final Preview

Australia has two games left in the series and is now in second place on the points table, while India has three games left and will be trying to solidify their position at the top.

Match Prediction:

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 championship will be awarded to the team wearing white jackets in just three games. After Pakistan, the reigning champions, lost in the group stage, we will now see this year’s champions.

An epic matchup between two contemporary adversaries will take place in the tournament’s inaugural semi-final. Australia and India will face off in this match on Tuesday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

India has beaten all three opponents in Dubai and is currently unbeaten in the competition. However, they have a poor record versus Australia in the ICC ODI knockout games. India should be mindful that Australia is a formidable opponent in ICC competitions, regardless of the individuals. The winners of this game advance to the final, so it’s going to be a special one.

IND vs AUS: Pitch Report

In Dubai, the pitch has been low and slow. Because of its turn and grip, spinners have been able to take more wickets. However, pacers can bowl hard length on the surface as well. It may be simpler to smash the new ball, but as it ages, it will probably turn and grip more, making it harder to bat on.

IND vs AUS Weather Report:

The weather in Dubai is expected to be mostly sunny on Tuesday afternoon, with sporadic clouds in the evening. It forecasts that the temperature will increase to 28° C with an average humidity of 30%.

India vs Australia Head-to-Head

Played: 151

India Won: 57

Australia Won: 84

NR: 10

IND vs AUS Predicted XIs:

India:

Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav

Australia:

Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Ben Dwarshuis, Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa, and Spencer Johnson

The IPL 2025 Kolkata Knight Riders have named Venkatesh Iyer as their vice captain.

Venkatesh Iyer has been named the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) deputy captain for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign. As KKR defends their crown, Iyer will back newly designated captain Ajinkya Rahane. This move follows Iyer’s repurchase by KKR. Which was one of the season’s most costly acquisitions, for ₹23.75 crore at the IPL mega auction.

“Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for KKR and brings a lot of leadership qualities,” said Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR, who expressed trust in Iyer’s leadership abilities. As we begin the defense of our title, we have no doubt that he and AjinkyaRahane will work well together. Iyer’s position as vice-captain is crucial because of his knowledge with the squad and his versatility with the bat and the ball.

On March 22, KKR will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens to start their championship defense. KKR wants to use their well-balanced team under Rahane and Iyer’s leadership to replicate their previous season’s success.

SA vs ENG Match Prediction, Playing 11, Match Preview, Head to Head

Match Preview:

SA vs ENG: England (ENG) will play South Africa (SA) in the eleventh ICC Champions Trophy match. Karachi’s National Stadium will host this game. The top eight rated men’s national teams will compete in the Champions Trophy 2025, which will take place from February 19 to March 9, 2025. New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan are all in Group A. Meanwhile, South Africa, Afghanistan, England, and Australia are also part of Group B.

Expect the Champions Trophy 2025 to be a fiercely competitive event with only three games for each nation and simulated knockout cricket. There are 70 ODI matches between South Africa and England. South Africa emerged victorious on 34 of these 70 games, while England won 30 of them. The last time these two teams played each other, South Africa won the 2023 CWC.

After losing two of the three league games, England is already out. They have no hope of qualifying after losing to Afghanistan in the last game. However, South Africa defeated Afghanistan by 107 runs in the first match. The player of the game was Rickelton. Their last game was called off. This game between these two teams is sure to be interesting.

SA vs ENG Match Information

Match: South Africa vs England, Match 11

Date: 1st March 2025

Time: 02:30 PM IST

Venue: National Stadium, Karachi

SA vs ENG: Head-to-Head

South Africa has only won one game, while England has lost five of their last five. In their most recent encounter, South Africa defeated them by 229 runs at the 2023 World Cup.

There are 70 ODIs between South Africa and England. England won thirty times, while South Africa won thirty-four. Five of the matches ended in a draw, while one ended in a draw.

National Stadium, Karachi Pitch Report

This is expected to be a high-scoring game because the batting surface is favorable and both sides have talented hitters. In the major game, the captains should follow the same pattern that has helped chasing teams succeed here, primarily due to the dew in the second innings.

South Africa vs England: Predicted Playing XI

England XI:

Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Saqib Mahmood.

South Africa XI:

Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, and Lungi Ngidi.