South Africa vs England in Champions Trophy: Key player battles
What's the story
England will be up against South Africa in the final Group B match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The match will be played at Karachi's National Stadium on Saturday, March 1.
England, who have been knocked out of the semi-final race, will aim to salvage pride.
Meanwhile, the Proteas unit is all but through to the next stage.
Here we look at the key player battles that can be on display.
#1
Joe Root vs Kagiso Rabada
One of the most awaited battles would be between England's Joe Root and South Africa's Kagiso Rabada.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Root has tackled Rabada across eight ODI innings, scoring 53 runs while losing his wicket just once.
However, Rabada has been in top form, claiming a three-fer in SA's opener against Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Root hammered a ton in his preceding outing.
#2
Keshav Maharaj vs Jos Buttler
South Africa will rely on left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj to keep things in check.
Maharaj is now for his economical bowling in the middle overs.
He will have his task cut out against England skipper Jos Buttler, who is a clean striker of the ball.
Though the dasher has not been among big runs lately, his presence would keep SA bowlers on their toes.
Notably, Buttler owns an ODI average of 47.86 against left-arm spinners.
#3
Heinrich Klaasen vs Adil Rashid
Heinrich Klaasen, who is known for his prowess against spin bowling in limited-overs cricket, might be up against Adil Rashid in the middle overs.
In their five ODI meetings till now, Rashid has dismissed Klaasen once while the latter has batted with a strike rate of 122.58.
Notably, Klaasen missed SA's opener due to fitness issues. He is likely to make a comeback against England.
#4
Ryan Rickelton vs Jofra Archer
Ryan Rickelton smashed a brilliant ton against Afghanistan and won't mind replicating his heroics again.
Meanwhile, he will be challenged by Jofra Archer in the upcoming encounter.
Archer made the new ball talk in his preceding outing against the Afghan team and claimed three wickets in the powerplay.
Hence, the face-off between these two in-form players could be enticing.