Dubai, March 5 — New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to bat against South Africa in the second semi-final of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday. The winner will meet India, who defeated Australia in the first semi-final, in Sunday’s final in Dubai.
New Zealand retained their playing XI, while South Africa brought back skipper Temba Bavuma, replacing Tristan Stubbs.
Both teams, despite their history of strong performances, carry the weight of past near-misses in ICC events. South Africa, often labeled “chokers” in big tournaments, last won the Champions Trophy in 1998, then known as the ICC Knockout Trophy. New Zealand, champions in 2000, have finished as runners-up in the ODI World Cup twice (2015, 2019) and once in the T20 World Cup (2021).
Playing XIs:
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
