AFG vs SA Dream11 Prediction: 3 Differentials you can pick for today's 2025 Champions Trophy match - February 21, 2025
Afghanistan (AFG) and South Africa (SA) lock horns in the 3rd match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (CT 2025) on Friday, February 21, at the National Stadium in Karachi. This is only the 6th meeting between the two teams in ODI cricket, and only their 2nd in an ICC tournament.
Afghanistan are the dark horses of this tournament, and in Group B with an out-of-form England, and an injury-ravaged Australia, they'll back their chances of making it to the semi-finals.
However, they'll have to contain the destructive batting unit of South Africa first. Temba Bavuma and Co. have had injury problems of their own, with key pacers like Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee ruled out. They will rely heavily on their batting prowess to steamroll their oppositions.
Let's now look at three Dream11 differentials who could steal the show in this match.
#3 Nangeyalia Kharote (BOWL) (AFG)
Afghanistan bowling all-rounder Nangeyalia Kharote could be a really powerful Dream11 differential in this match. The left-arm spinner is expected to be a part of Afghanistan's playing XI in this fixture as they could go into this match with only one front-line seamer in Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Kharote, expected to bat at No.9 and be their control spinner, has a solid record in ODI cricket. He has picked up 11 wickets in seven innings, at a terrific economy rate of 3.68. Against South Africa, he has four wickets in three games to his name at a miserly economy rate of 4.21.
While he might not have the mystery of Noor Ahmad or Rashid Khan, he's a prolific turner of the ball and possesses great control, something that should hold him well throughout the tournament. He could be a handy Dream11 differential to include in your teams.
#2 Sediqullah Atal (BAT) (AFG)
Potentially the new batting sensation to come out of Afghanistan, 23-year-old Sediqullah Atal is set to occupy a place in the Afghanistan top order in CT 2025. In five ODI innings, he has scored 230 runs at an average of 46.00, quite promising numbers.
While one could argue that his opponents in those matches were Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, he also had a good outing in the SA20, where he smashed a 46-ball 74 playing for MI Cape Town.
Atal looks like a clean boundary-hitter, and while his inexperience in ODI cricket could hurt him on a few occasions, his advanced batting position and the nature of the pitch for today's match could see him potentially haul big, making him a solid Dream11 differential to punt on.
#1 Ryan Rickelton (WK) (SA)
Whether it's because of the presence of two already solid wicket-keeper batters in Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Heinrich Klaasen or his own sub-par ODI record, Ryan Rickelton finds himself with differential-level ownership on Dream11 coming into this match. The powerful southpaw enters CT 2025 on the back of an impressive SA20 2025 campaign, where he finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer.
Rickelton is set to open the batting with captain Temba Bavuma and should go hard in the powerplay as he does in T20 cricket. A bonafide boundary hitter with a penchant for playing big knocks, it's a surprise to see a player like him with such limited Dream11 backing.
Yes, he may not have the numbers in ODI cricket to back him up. However, on what should be really good wickets for batting, Rickelton is too powerful a Dream11 differential to miss out on.