Lahore [Pakistan], March 6 – New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra played a pivotal role in his team’s strong performance against South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final, securing their spot in the final. Ravindra, alongside right-hand batter Will Young and former skipper Kane Williamson, built crucial partnerships that helped New Zealand set an imposing target of 362 runs, ultimately proving too difficult for South Africa to chase.
Ravindra formed an opening partnership of 48 runs from 47 balls with Will Young. The highlight of his innings, however, was his remarkable 164-run stand in 154 balls with Kane Williamson for the second wicket. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Ravindra expressed how fulfilling it was to work with both Young and Williamson, praising the latter for his acceleration during the partnership.
“It was nice to build a partnership first with Youngy (Will Young) and then Kane,” Ravindra said after the match, as quoted by ICC. “That is what helped me the most, being able to work with the guys in the team. Kane started accelerating so nicely,” he added.
New Zealand’s massive total of 362 runs not only secured their place in the final but also set a new record for the highest total in ICC Champions Trophy matches played in Lahore, surpassing Australia’s earlier score of 356/5 in the tournament.
The match also saw Kiwi legend Kane Williamson reach a historic milestone, becoming the 16th player in history to score 19,000 international runs and the first New Zealander to achieve this feat. Williamson’s 102 runs off 94 balls, which included a mix of traditional strokes and innovative shots, was his 48th century across all formats and his 15th in One-Day Internationals.
Williamson’s career has been extraordinary, with the 34-year-old reaching 19,000 runs in just 440 innings, making him the fourth-fastest to achieve the milestone behind only Virat Kohli (399 innings), Sachin Tendulkar (432), and Brian Lara (433).
Ravindra, who also scored a century in the match, making 108 runs off 101 balls, acknowledged the importance of savoring the moment before looking ahead to the final. “We’ll reflect on today and chill out a bit tonight and then once we get to Dubai, start switching on,” he said.