The ICC Champions Trophy is fast approaching, with each of the eight nations involved dreaming of scooping the cup for the first time since Pakistan managed to triumph back in 2017.
Group A features Bangladesh, India, New Zealand and hosts Pakistan, while Group B sees South Africa drawn against Afghanistan, Australia and England. Of the two groups, the second seems the more competitive, with the gap between each side relatively small.
Indeed, Australia, England and South Africa rank as the favourites to secure the trophy outside of India, while Afghanistan have been able to prove they have what it takes to stun the best on their day.
The South African squad heading into the Champions Trophy will be desperate to ensure their historic failures at major competitions does not follow them into 2025. The Proteas have struggled to star at major competitions, with this seeing their only Champions Trophy triumph come back in 1998.
Their opening match this year is likely their most winnable as it comes against Afghanistan. Victory in this one would set them up to face Australia knowing that a win would likely be enough to see them go through, while a loss would not likely be too damaging if they are then able to beat England in their final match.
With so much pressure coming straight from the first ball, which stars will likely prove to be the key players in South Africa’s Champions Trophy run? Bets.co.za have provided their verdict.
Temba Bavuma
When it comes to choosing key players in any sport, the captain is often one of the first names mentioned. Temba Bavuma will lead this South African side into the competition looking to ensure that he has a positive impact in all facets of the game.
With the bat, Bavuma boasts an average of 42.92 in the ODI format, although his stats in 2024 saw his yearly average dip to 23.80. While it is better for Bavuma to struggle prior to a competition rather than at the showpiece event itself, he has very little time to turn things around between now and the start of the tournament on February 19.
Many players have found that the runs can dry up when they are given the responsibility of captaincy. The best way for Bavuma to focus on his run scoring is if his bowlers are able to execute their strategies to perfection. If Bavuma sees his bowling lineup keeping their economy rates low and taking wickets, it allows the captain to focus on his own game plan with the bat.
The captain of a side has the unenviable job of trying to formulate ways of taking wickets when they simply will not fall, while they are often lambasted for playing too defensively when the opposition is in full flight. Similarly, if they attack too much and start to leak runs, the game can turn on it’s head very quickly. Bavuma has to find a way of ensuring that he tows the line between looking to take wickets and keeping the score down, all the while trying to score runs for his team.
At 34, this will be one of his final major competitions, and he will be desperate to bring the curtain down on his career with some form of silverware.
Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada has been the man South Africa have turned to across formats, with the fast bowler taking wickets with fiery spells that have put his express pace on full show.
With 162 wickets across ODIs since 2015, Rabada has cemented his place in this South African side. 2024 also proved to be his best year with regard to strike rate. The quick had a strike rate of 24.00 last year, far better than his overall rate of 32.65. While he did only play two 50 over matches in 2024, he managed to take 5/104 across 20 overs.
The pitches in Pakistan will likely give some assistance to faster bowlers, but they will almost certainly benefit spin bowlers more. This simply means that quicker bowers need variations and plans in place to ensure that they are not simply taking up an end and providing no real threat.
Rabada is precisely the type of bowler we expect to see arriving with a full bag of tricks. His express pace is an issue when players are looking to go over the top and score runs, while the threat of a slower ball when a batter is expecting a quicker delivery is massive.
While the spinners may provide the biggest wicket-taking option on the pitches in Pakistan, Rabada will have his moments, and he may yet prove to be the trophy winner for his side.
Aiden Markram
Aiden Markram was looking to use South Africa’s run of matches against Pakistan as the ideal place to find form heading into the Champions Trophy.
However, with the exception of a score of 89 in the first Test match, Markram was not at his best across any of the formats. He arrives with an underwhelming average of 36.32 in ODI’s across his career, with Markram slipping from 51.65 in 2023 to 33.40 last year. Worryingly, Markram failed to score a century across any of his six innings in 2024, notching one fifty with a top score of 69 not out.
The position of three and four in the team will be incredibly important across the Champions Trophy. Rassie van der Dussen has been tipped by many to come out at three with Markram likely the fourth batter. The ODI game is incredibly unforgiving as the team that bats first often struggles to post a competitive score if they lose early wickets.
Teams can shrink back into their shell if they lose their openers, with their third and fourth batsmen looking to soak up pressure and halt the fall of wickets. This has often seen a nation labour their way to 200 or so runs, which is easily chased down by the opposition if they are able to stave off early wickets.
Similarly, if Markram comes in with the score at 200/2 after 35 overs, he then has to ensure he does not throw his wicket away cheaply, while he cannot score too slowly. There are more explosive batsmen below him that can accelerate the scoring, meaning going into Test match mode is not an option if South Africa are to go big.
Ultimately, Markram’s job is not solely to score runs. Instead, it is to rotate the strike, keep the pressure on the opposition and to be sure he does not use up too many deliveries. Markram may not physically be in the best form with the bat right now, meaning he needs to be at the top of his tactical game to ensure he supports the team in the right way.