Despite David Miller’s record-breaking fastest century in Champions Trophy history, South Africa lost to New Zealand by 50 runs in the 2025 semifinal on March 5. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra starred with centuries, advancing them to the final against India on March 9. Miller criticized the tournament’s scheduling, which he felt disadvantaged South Africa, noting their taxing travel from Dubai to Lahore upfront of the semifinal. He expressed frustration over the lack of recuperation time after back-to-back matches. Ultimately, he is now supporting New Zealand in the upcoming final against India at the Dubai International Stadium.
Despite David Miller’s extraordinary batting performance, South Africa succumbed to New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal on March 5. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra delivered solid centuries, leading them to a 50-run victory over South Africa in the semifinals held in Lahore. As a result, New Zealand will face India in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on March 9 at the Dubai International Stadium.
David Miller attributes South Africa’s loss to Champions Trophy scheduling against New Zealand
David Miller achieved the fastest century in Champions Trophy history, reaching the milestone in just 67 balls; however, his remarkable efforts proved insufficient as South Africa failed to chase a formidable total of 362 runs. Post-match, Miller expressed deep frustration regarding the tournament’s scheduling, particularly citing the advantages seemingly granted to India by having all their matches played in Dubai.
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The scheduling issue arose from a series of events leading up to the semifinals. Prior to the final group match between India and New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, the other teams qualifying from Group B, were compelled to travel to Dubai for a decisive matchup. Following India’s win, which set up their semi-final against Australia, South Africa was faced with an immediate turnaround, having to return to Lahore the very next day for their semifinal against New Zealand. This rigorous travel timetable, coupled with the timing of India’s matches, intensified Miller’s concerns.
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In the aftermath of South Africa’s semifinal loss to New Zealand, David Miller elaborated on the logistical hurdles his team faced. He noted that the players were required to travel to Dubai immediately after their final group stage encounter against England in Karachi. Arriving in Dubai at 4 PM, they had very little time to rest before departing for Lahore the following morning at 7:30 AM for their critical semi-final showdown.
While Miller conceded that South Africa had adequate time to physically recuperate, he emphasized that the circumstances were far from ideal. The demanding travel schedule, which included consecutive flights and minimal rest, undoubtedly increased pressure on the players, potentially affecting their performance in the pivotal semifinal.
“It’s only an hour and 40 minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that was not ideal. It’s early morning, it’s after a game, and we had to fly. Then we got to Dubai at 4:00 pm. And at 7.30 am we had to come back. It doesn’t make it nice. It’s not like we flew five hours, and we had enough time to recover and recuperate, but it was not an ideal situation still,” Miller remarked following South Africa’s defeat against New Zealand.
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The stage is set for an exhilarating finale to the Champions Trophy 2025, with India and New Zealand ready to battle it out in the final on March 9, which falls on a Sunday. The Dubai International Stadium will serve as the venue for this much-anticipated clash, guaranteed to provide an electric atmosphere. In the wake of his team’s semifinal loss, David Miller shared his views on the upcoming final.
He revealed who he would be cheering for in the India versus New Zealand Champions Trophy final, stating that he’ll be backing Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand in the championship match.
“I’ll be honest with you, I think I’ll be supporting New Zealand,” Miller added.