 "Champions Trophy 2025, SA vs NZ pitch report, Lahore Stadium's key stats")
In the second semifinal of ICC Champions Trophy 2025, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat first against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday (March 5).
As anticipation builds, there has been much speculation about what the pitch at Lahore will offer. With both teams eager to reach the summit clash, they’ll be hoping for clear skies and a pitch that offers an exciting contest.
New Zealand enters this high-stakes encounter having finished second in Group A, while South Africa topped Group B. The winner of this fierce contest will face either Australia or India in the grand finale, where only one team will rise to claim the ICC Champions Trophy glory.
Gaddafi Stadium Pitch Report:
The Gaddafi Stadium surface is set to deliver another run-fest, with dimensions favoring batters. The straight boundary measures 75 metres, while the square boundaries stand at 70 metres to the left and 67 metres to the right, ensuring plenty of scoring opportunities.
According to Bazid Khan and Dale Steyn, the pitch remains hard and flat, with a fresh covering of grass that will allow the ball to skid on nicely, making stroke play easier. Batters are expected to dominate on this batting-friendly wicket, with boundary-hitting opportunities aplenty.
However, the presence of three of the world’s tallest bowlers could introduce an extra element of bounce. With something in it for the pacers who can hit the deck hard, bowlers will need to be precise with their lengths, as any margin for error is likely to be severely punished by the batters.
Overall, expect another high-scoring contest, with batters looking to take full advantage of the conditions while bowlers strive for accuracy to extract whatever assistance they can from the surface.
Lahore's Gadaffi Stadium key stats | Record | Player/Team | Performance | Opponent | Year |
| Highest team score | Pakistan | 375/3 | Zimbabwe | 2015 |
| Lowest team score | Pakistan | 75 all out | Sri Lanka | 2009 |
| Highest individual score | Ijaz Ahmed | 139* (84) | India | 1997 |
| Best bowling figures | Lance Klusner | 6/49 | Sri Lanka | — |
| Most runs at Gaddafi Stadium (ODIs) | Shoaib Malik | 1030 runs in 22 innings | — | — |
| Most wickets at Gaddafi Stadium (ODIs) | Wasim Akram | 23 wickets in 17 matches | — | — |
| Highest ODI totals at Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore | ||||||||
| Team | Score | Overs | RR | Inns | Opposition | Ground | Result | Match Date |
| Pakistan | 375/3 | 50 | 7.5 | 1 | v Zimbabwe | Lahore | won | 26/05/15 |
| Sri Lanka | 357/9 | 50 | 7.14 | 1 | v Bangladesh | Lahore | won | 25/06/08 |
| Australia | 356/5 | 47.3 | 1 | v England | Lahore | won | 22/02/25 | |
| England | 351/8 | 50 | 1 | v Australia | Lahore | lost | 22/02/25 | |
| Pakistan | 349/4 | 49 | 7.12 | 2 | v Australia | Lahore | won | 31/03/22 |
| Australia | 348/8 | 50 | 6.96 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | lost | 31/03/22 |
| Zimbabwe | 334/5 | 50 | 6.68 | 2 | v Pakistan | Lahore | lost | 26/05/15 |
| Bangladesh | 334/5 | 50 | 6.68 | 1 | v Afghanistan | Lahore | won | 03/09/23 |
| New Zealand | 330/6 | 50 | 6.6 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 08/02/25 |
| England | 327/4 | 50 | 6.54 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 10/12/05 |
| Pakistan | 322/5 | 50 | 6.44 | 1 | v Bangladesh | Lahore | won | 08/04/08 |
| Australia | 316/4 | 48.5 | 6.47 | 2 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 10/11/98 |
| Pakistan | 315/8 | 50 | 6.3 | 1 | v Australia | Lahore | lost | 10/11/98 |
| Australia | 313/7 | 50 | 6.26 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 29/03/22 |
| South Africa | 311/9 | 50 | 6.22 | 1 | v Sri Lanka | Lahore | won | 06/11/97 |
| Sri Lanka | 309/5 | 50 | 6.18 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 24/01/09 |
| New Zealand | 308/4 | 48.4 | 6.32 | 2 | v South Africa | Lahore | won | 10/02/25 |
| Pakistan | 308/8 | 50 | 6.16 | 1 | v Bangladesh | Lahore | won | 13/04/08 |
| South Africa | 304/6 | 50 | 6.08 | 1 | v New Zealand | Lahore | lost | 10/02/25 |
| Bangladesh | 300/8 | 50 | 6 | 1 | v U.A.E. | Lahore | won | 24/06/08 |
| South Africa | 297/5 | 48.1 | 6.16 | 2 | v West Indies | Lahore | won | 03/11/97 |
| Pakistan | 297/4 | 48.5 | 6.08 | 2 | v Sri Lanka | Lahore | won | 14/10/04 |
| Pakistan | 296/9 | 50 | 5.92 | 1 | v Zimbabwe | Lahore | n/r | 31/05/15 |
| India | 294/5 | 45 | 6.53 | 2 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 21/03/04 |
| South Africa | 294/5 | 50 | 5.88 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 18/10/07 |
| West Indies | 293/8 | 50 | 5.86 | 1 | v South Africa | Lahore | lost | 03/11/97 |
| Pakistan | 293/9 | 50 | 5.86 | 1 | v India | Lahore | lost | 21/03/04 |
| India | 293/7 | 50 | 5.86 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 24/03/04 |
| Sri Lanka | 293/6 | 50 | 5.86 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | lost | 14/10/04 |
| India | 292/5 | 47.4 | 6.12 | 2 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 13/02/06 |
| Pakistan | 292/7 | 48 | 6.08 | 2 | v New Zealand | Lahore | won | 29/11/03 |
| New Zealand | 291/5 | 50 | 5.82 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | lost | 29/11/03 |
| Sri Lanka | 291/8 | 50 | 5.82 | 1 | v Afghanistan | Lahore | won | 05/09/23 |
| Sri Lanka | 290/9 | 50 | 5.8 | 1 | v U.A.E. | Lahore | won | 26/06/08 |
| Afghanistan | 289 | 37.4 | 7.67 | 2 | v Sri Lanka | Lahore | lost | 05/09/23 |
| Pakistan | 288/8 | 50 | 5.76 | 1 | v India | Lahore | lost | 13/02/06 |
| Sri Lanka | 287/7 | 50 | 5.74 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 16/10/04 |
| Pakistan | 285 | 46.5 | 6.08 | 2 | v England | Lahore | lost | 10/12/05 |
| Bangladesh | 285/7 | 50 | 5.7 | 2 | v Pakistan | Lahore | lost | 13/04/08 |
| Sri Lanka | 281/2 | 40 | 7.02 | 2 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 05/11/97 |
| Pakistan | 281/5 | 50 | 5.62 | 1 | v New Zealand | Lahore | won | 06/03/96 |
| Pakistan | 281/6 | 50 | 5.62 | 1 | v New Zealand | Lahore | won | 01/12/03 |
| Pakistan | 280 | 49.4 | 5.63 | 1 | v Sri Lanka | Lahore | lost | 05/11/97 |
| Pakistan | 278/5 | 50 | 5.56 | 1 | v New Zealand | Lahore | won | 27/04/02 |
| Pakistan | 277/6 | 50 | 5.54 | 1 | v South Africa | Lahore | won | 03/10/03 |
| South Africa | 271 | 48 | 5.64 | 1 | v Pakistan | Lahore | won | 02/11/97 |