Afghanistan vs South Africa, 2025 Champions Trophy: National Stadium, Karachi pitch history and ODI records
Afghanistan will battle South Africa at the National Stadium on February 21 in the 2025 Champions Trophy. It is the first match of Group B, with both teams aiming to get off to a winning start.
South Africa have been excellent in recent ICC events. They made it to the semifinals of the 2023 ODI World Cup and the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Proteas will be keen to win a trophy this time.
On the other side, Afghanistan will compete in the Champions Trophy for the first time. Before Afghanistan make their debut, here's a look at the pitch history of the National Stadium.
National Stadium, Karachi ODI records
57 ODI matches have happened at this venue, with teams batting first winning 27 times. There isn't much of a difference in the win percentage of teams batting first and teams chasing, highlighting that the toss does not hold much significance.
Here are some crucial numbers to know from the previous matches hosted by Karachi in the ODI format:
Matches played: 57
Won by teams batting first: 27
Won by teams batting second: 28
Tied: 0
No result: 2
Highest individual score: 181 - Sir Viv Richards (WI) vs Sri Lanka, 1987
Best bowling figures: 6/13 - Ajantha Mendis (SL) vs India, 2008
Highest team total: 374/4 - India vs Hong Kong, 2008
Lowest team total: 115 - Bangladesh vs Pakistan, 2008
Highest successful run-chase: 355/4 - Pakistan vs South Africa, 2025
Average first innings score: 247.
National Stadium, Karachi pitch report
Karachi hosted a match between New Zealand and Pakistan on February 19. In that game, the Blackcaps posted 300+ on the board. It shows that the pitch is good for batting in Karachi.
Slower bowlers may also have a say in the contest. Considering the quality of spinners Afghanistan have, South Africa could be in trouble.
National Stadium, Karachi last ODI
New Zealand beat Pakistan by 60 runs in the previous ODI hosted by this venue. The Blackcaps posted 320/5 on the board, thanks to tons from Will Young and Tom Latham. In response, Pakistan got bundled out for 260 in 47.2 overs.
The batters smashed a total of 16 sixes in that ODI game. 15 wickets fell in 97.2 overs, with spinners accounting for five of them. Here is the match summary:
Brief scores: New Zealand 320/5 (Tom Latham 118, Naseem Shah 2/63) beat Pakistan 260 (Khushdil Shah 69, William O'Rourke 3/47) by 60 runs.