New Zealand defeated South Africa by 50 runs in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final in Lahore. The Proteas suffered their first loss in the tournament and were knocked out.

David Miller was the only bright spot in South Africa’s batting. He scored the fastest century in Champions Trophy history, but his brilliant effort was not enough to secure a win.

Miller Unhappy With Tournament Schedule

After the match, Miller criticized the tournament’s schedule. He pointed out that India played all their matches in Dubai, while other teams had to travel frequently.

Before the last match between India and New Zealand on March 2, Australia and South Africa had to fly to Dubai. With the Men in Blue confirming their semi-final against the Aussies, the Proteas returned to Pakistan to take on New Zealand in the second knockout.

Miller revealed that South Africa’s travel schedule was tough. After their last group match against England in Karachi, they had to fly to Dubai the next day. They landed in Dubai at 4 PM and had to fly back to Lahore at 7:30 AM the next morning.

“Although the flight was just one hour and 40 minutes, the situation was far from ideal.

We had to travel early in the morning, right after playing a match. We arrived in Dubai at 4 PM but had to fly back at 7:30 AM the next day. It wasn’t a long journey, so we did have some time to recover, but it still wasn’t an ideal scenario,” Miller said.

Miller Supports New Zealand in the Final

David Miller will support New Zealand in the final. “To be honest, I think I’ll be cheering for New Zealand,” he added.

The Champions Trophy 2025 final will be played between India and New Zealand on March 9 at the Dubai International Stadium.