Ex-Australian captain Ricky Ponting has shared his prediction on who will reach the 2025 Champions Trophy final between New Zealand and South Africa as well. Ponting feels South Africa remain the frontrunners as they have done well across facets. However, the Proteas will take on the Black Caps in the second semi-final on Wednesday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, have already made it to the final as well.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, he said, “They’ve got a good side, South Africa. If I look at both the sides, I think there’s just a little bit more class in that South African line-up. (Kagiso) Rabada looks like he’s going well, Marco Jansen took three wickets in his last game. (South Africa bat) deep, (they have) an opener that is in really good form in Ryan Rickelton and a strong middle order. So I just think they might just have a little bit too much power for New Zealand.”

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Ponting also believes the Kiwis somehow find a way to win, despite being what sort of players they possess. The veteran also reckons game-changers like Glenn Phillips will be important to their chances in the semi-final.

“They just find a way. They deserve to be there and they’ll be hard to beat again. It’s about the moment as well, it’s about who it is, it’s about the time in the game. When it’s a catch like that against the opposition team’s best player, or when you can take a catch like that to get rid of Virat, then that has more of an impact than it does if you’re taking that catch against one of the tail-enders. To take a catch like that, that can be game changing. And I think that’s why we all work so hard on our fielding,” Ricky Ponting concluded.