IND-C vs SA-C Review । South Africa Champions outmuscle India Champions in rain-affected WCL 2025 game

ByUmesh Sharma,SportsCafe Editor

Today at 12:17 PM

India Champions played their first match in WCL 2025, taking on South Africa Champions in the tournament’s sixth game at the County Ground in Northampton. The Proteas dominated India throughout the game and ended up triumphing in the contest by a massive 88-run margin to register their second win.

India’s stand-in skipper Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and asked South Africa Champions to bat first. The opening duo of Hashim Amla and Jacques Rudolph provided a steady opening start of 35 runs in 4.2 overs, before Amla (22 off 19 balls) fell prey to veteran spinner Piyush Chawla on the second ball of the fifth over. Following Amla’s dismissal, Sarel Erwee and Rudolph made a 31-run stand for the second wicket. The Proteas lost their next three wickets in quick succession, as Rudolph was trapped in a run-out after Yusuf Pathan dismissed Erwee. These two dismissals were followed by JP Duminy’s wicket, with the team’s score 90 runs in 11.1 overs. But then came a game-changing knock played by skipper AB de Villiers. He smashed 61 off just 30 balls, with an outstanding strike rate of 203.33, followed by the 17-ball 30 scored by Morne van Wyk that helped SA Champs post a big total of 206/6 in the allotted 20 overs. Chawla and Pathan picked up two wickets each, alongside a wicket bagged by Abhimanyu Mithun.

India’s target was revised to 200 runs from 18.2 overs after rain interrupted the game. The Men in Blue had a shaky start as they lost their six wickets at the score of just 55 runs in 8.5 overs. India kept losing wickets at regular intervals, and they were eventually restricted to a total of just 111/9 in the given 18.2 overs. Aaron Phangiso claimed three wickets for just 17 runs in his four-over spell. Parnell and Tahir also shared four wickets between them to restrict India.

AB de Villiers won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his swashbuckling knock that changed the flow of game in his side’s favour.