South Africa's journey in the 2025 Champions Trophy ended in disappointment with a 50-run loss to New Zealand in the semi-finals. Even though David Miller dazzled with a brilliant century, the Proteas couldn't chase down the massive target of 362 runs, leading to their exit from the tournament in Lahore. This defeat reignited the familiar discussion about South Africa's struggles in knockout stages, especially after former cricketer Herschelle Gibbs made a surprising comment, downplaying Miller's late-game efforts.

New Zealand, powered by centuries from Rachin Ravindra (108) and Kane Williamson (102), posted a staggering 362 runs, marking the highest total in Champions Trophy history. South Africa's innings got off to a rocky start, with early wickets and a slow performance from Temba Bavuma (56 off 64) putting them in a tough spot. By the time Miller came to bat, they were facing a steep challenge, needing over 200 runs in just 23 overs.

Despite the odds, Miller fought valiantly, scoring an incredible unbeaten century off 67 balls. His innings was a mix of strength and skill, but it ultimately wasn't enough, as South Africa never seemed likely to chase down the enormous total.

Gibbs, however, felt that Miller's impressive performance didn't really matter in the context of the match.

“He had a few throw downs... the game was long gone,” he posted on X.

He mentioned in another post, “Alright. Once 37 overs were up, the game was pretty much over, so Davy could just swing away without a care. No stress, no hassle... it was like having a casual practice session.”

Miller talks about planning the schedule

Miller expressed his frustration over the hectic schedule that South Africa had to deal with after their recent loss. The Proteas had just played a match in Karachi before heading to Dubai for a possible semi-final against India.

But since India topped their group, South Africa had to make a quick trip back to Lahore within just 12 hours.

"It’s just an hour and 40-minute flight, but having to do that wasn’t great," Miller mentioned.

“It was early morning, right after a game, and we had to fly. We landed in Dubai at 4:00 PM, and then we had to turn around and come back at 7:30 AM. It’s not ideal. It’s not like we were on a long flight where we could rest and recover; it just wasn’t a good situation.”

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