Published on: Jul 25, 2025 8:33 pm IST|Updated on: Jul 24, 2025 2:13 pm IST
New Zealand take on South Africa in the final of the Zimbabwe Tri-Series 2025. The Blackcaps finished the league stage unbeaten at the pole position with 4 wins from 4 games. The Proteas, on the other hand, managed to win 2 out of their 4 fixtures and finished second on the points table.
Talking about the journey of New Zealand, they kicked off their campaign with a win over South Africa by 21 runs on July 16. Their following game against the hosts, Zimbabwe, was more of a cakewalk, as they won quite comfortably by 8 wickets. The Blackcaps again defeated the Proteas in their following game by 7 wickets and booked their table-top position before heading into the final.
The South Africans had a strong start to their campaign with a 5-wicket win over the hosts, Zimbabwe, in the tournament opener. They lost their following game to New Zealand by 21 runs but bounced back strongly with a 7-wicket victory over Zimbabwe to punch their tickets for the finals. Although they lost their final league game to New Zealand by 7 wickets, they were lucky enough to have already made it to the finals.
With the stage set for the finals, expect both South Africa and New Zealand to give their all and capture the trophy on Saturday, 26th July.
Let’s delve deeper into this post for the SA vs NZ Dream11 prediction.
Date: 26th July 2025 Time: 04:30 PM IST Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare
Matches Played: 17 SA won: 11 NZ won: 6 No Result: 0 Tied: 0
Despite losing two games to New Zealand in this series, South Africa still leads the head-to-head battle between the two sides. The Proteas have managed to win 11 fixtures, whereas New Zealand has won the remaining 6 out of 17.
The pitch at Harare Sports Club for the Tri-Series final between New Zealand and South Africa is expected to offer a balanced contest. Early on, pacers may find swing and bounce with the new ball, especially under cooler conditions. As the match progresses, the surface tends to slow down, bringing spinners into play with grip and turn during the middle overs. Batters who settle in can score freely, but stroke-making becomes challenging against slower deliveries. Historically, teams batting first have had more success here, with totals above 170 proving competitive. The weather forecast suggests a pleasant, partly cloudy afternoon with minimal chances of rain.
Here are some key T20I match stats from the Harare Sports Club in Harare:
NZ Expected Playing XI: Tim Seifert (WK), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy
SA Expected Playing XI: Reeza Hendricks, Lhuan-dre Pretorius (WK), Rassie van der Dussen (C), Dewald Brevis, Rubin Hermann, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Senurean Muthusamy/Kwena Maphaka, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
As per the betting odds provided by most of the bettors, New Zealand is tipped as the favorite to win this match.
The 1st T20I between South Africa and New Zealand will take place on Saturday, July 26, at 04:30 PM (IST). Online live streaming will take place on the Sony Liv app. The TV streaming will take place on Sony Ten 1, 2 & 5.
Wicket-keepers: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Devon Conway, Rubin Hermann, Tim Seifert Batters: Rachin Ravindra, Dewald Brevis All-Rounders: Corbin Bosch, Mitchell Santner Bowlers: Matt Henry, Nandre Burger, Jacob Duffy
C/VC Options- Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Dewald Brevis, Rubin Hermann