Rachin Ravindra completed his fifth ODI century in the second semi-final match of the ICC champions Trophy 2025 against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday, 5 March 2025. His all five centuries have come in ICC tournaments. (Match Blog | More Cricket News)
He came to open the batting for New Zealand with Will Young and set a 48-run partnership for the first wicket. Lungi Ngidi broke the partnership with a slower delivery. Then came the former captain Kane Williamson, with whom he added 164 runs for the second wicket.
13 innings taken by Rachin Ravindra is the least by anyone to register five hundreds in ICC ODI tournaments, bettering 15 by Shikhar Dhawan.
The 25-year-old Ravindra has the most number of centuries for New Zealand in ICC events and this was his just 13th inning. He also did well in the ODI World Cup 2023, which was played in India. New Zealand lost to the hosts in the semi-final in that tournament.
The left-handed stylish batter took his time to complete the first fifty runs and reached there in just 47 balls. Then he changed gears after setting his eyes and targeted Mulder for a couple more boundaries in the same over.
Then he went after Keshav Maharaj in the 25th over and hit a four then a six in the over to collect 13 runs from the over. Maharaj conceded a couple of boundaries in his next over as well when Williamson hit him for a six.
Williamson also completed his 48th ODI half-century and is looking for a big knock.
Playing his 33rd ODI match, Ravindra completed his fifth hundred in the format. He also has five half-centuries in ODIs. He has made runs with an average of 46.
Earlier, New Zealand elected to bat first after winning the toss. The Mitchell Santner-led Kiwi side went unchanged from their last match against India. South Africa have played only one front-line spinner - Keshav Maharaj in their final XI. They are going with four seamers in Lahore.
New Zealand finished second in Group A after India with two wins in three group-stage matches. South Africa are unbeaten in the tournament and finished at the top of Group B.
Rachin is also the second-youngest New Zealand batter to get to five ODI hundreds, after Kane Williamson. He took just 28 innings to score his fifth ODI ton.
Kagiso Rabada ended his entertaining knock in the 34th over with a slower off-cutter. This was his second century of the tournament after the first coming against Bangladesh in group-stage match.
