Pakistan Champions vs South Africa Champions, AS IT HAPPENED: South Africa Champions produced a clinical performance to defeat Pakistan Champions by 9 wickets in the WCL 2025 Final, chasing down a target of 196 with 19 balls to spare.
Batting second, AB de Villiers was at his vintage best, smashing an unbeaten 120 off 60 balls, laced with 12 fours and 7 sixes. He was ably supported by Jean-Paul Duminy, who struck a fluent 50 off 28 balls*, as the duo stitched a dominant 145-run stand for the second wicket.

Earlier, Pakistan Champions posted 195/5, thanks to a blistering knock from Sharjeel Khan (76) and late surge from Umar Amin (36) and Asif Ali (28). But in the end, Pakistan's bowlers were rendered ineffective by South Africa's aggressive reply.
With this commanding win, South Africa Champions lifted their maiden WCL trophy, asserting their dominance in style.
South Africa Champions bag a prize money of 200,000 USD!
Master Blaster Of The Match: AB de Villiers (SA)
Fan Favourite Legend: Sharjeel Khan (PAK)
MOTM: AB de Villiers (SA)
Most Valuable Player: AB de Villiers (SA)
Game Changer Of The Match: AB de Villiers (SA)
Runners-Up: Pakistan Champions (100,000 USD)
Stay tuned as the Post-Match Presentation is underway...!
Rumman Raees returned to bowl the 17th over with just 12 runs required, but Jean-Paul Duminy ensured the contest didn't go any further.
The over began with a single from AB de Villiers, taking him to 120*. Duminy followed with a quick single, before a misdirected delivery gave away a leg bye. Then came the flourish - a powerful four to deep square leg, followed by a towering six over long-off, finishing the chase in emphatic fashion.
South Africa Champions chase down 196 with 19 balls to spare!
🏆 South Africa Champions win the WCL 2025 Final by 9 wickets!
Final Score:South Africa Champions 197/1 in 16.5 overs
AB de Villiers: 120* (59)
Jean-Paul Duminy: 50* (28)
Rumman Raees: 3.5-0-33-0
A masterclass from de Villiers and a composed finish by Duminy crowned South Africa Champions as the 2025 World Championship of Legends winners.
Wahab Riaz came back into the attack, but AB de Villiers wasted no time in asserting dominance. The over started with a couple of singles before AB found the boundary twice - once through deep mid-wicket and then again with a crisp drive to long-off.
Score after 16 overs: South Africa Champions 184/1
AB de Villiers: 119*(58) | Jean-Paul Duminy: 39*(25)
Runs required: 12 off 24 balls
Wahab Riaz's figures: 3-0-33-0
Rumman Raees returned to the attack and delivered a tidy over under pressure. He kept the batters quiet with disciplined line and length, conceding just 5 singles in the over. AB de Villiers and Jean-Paul Duminy continued rotating the strike, but boundaries dried up this time around.
Score after 15 overs: South Africa Champions 172/1
AB de Villiers: 109*(54) | Jean-Paul Duminy: 37*(23)
Runs required: 24 off 30 balls
Raees' figures: 3-0-21-0
Saeed Ajmal bowled his final over, and although he kept things tight, Jean-Paul Duminy found the gap on the first ball with a well-placed four through deep extra cover. The rest of the over saw smart rotation of strike, with singles on each delivery to keep the momentum going.
Score after 14 overs: South Africa Champions 167/1
AB de Villiers: 107*(51) | Jean-Paul Duminy: 34*(20)
Runs required: 29 off 36 balls
Ajmal's figures: 4-0-32-1
Aamer Yamin was introduced into the attack, but Jean-Paul Duminy showed no signs of slowing down. He cracked the first ball through deep extra cover for four, followed by a single. After AB rotated strike, Duminy launched a towering six straight down the ground, asserting his dominance. A couple more singles and a brace to end the over kept the scoreboard ticking.
Score after 13 overs: South Africa Champions 158/1
AB de Villiers: 105*(49) | Jean-Paul Duminy: 27*(16)
Runs required: 38 off 42 balls
Aamer Yamin: 1-0-15-0
Saeed Ajmal returned and was welcomed with a boundary by Duminy, who swept powerfully to deep mid-wicket. A quick single brought AB de Villiers back on strike, and though Ajmal kept him quiet for three deliveries, the South African maestro brought up his century in style, punching the final ball through deep square leg for four. A composed over overall, but the damage was done early and late.
Score after 12 overs: South Africa Champions 143/1
AB de Villiers: 102*(47) | Jean-Paul Duminy: 15*(12)
Runs required: 53 off 48 balls
Saeed Ajmal: 3-0-23-1
Imad Wasim returned to the attack, but AB de Villiers was in no mood to let up. After Duminy gave him the strike with a single, AB launched Imad for two towering sixes - one over deep mid-wicket and another over long-on - showcasing his unmatched power. He followed that up with a couple to move within touching distance of a sensational century. The partnership between AB and Duminy continued to blossom, putting the bowling side under immense pressure.
Score after 11 overs: South Africa Champions 134/1
AB de Villiers: 98 (43) | Jean-Paul Duminy: 10 (10)
Runs required: 62 off 54 balls
Imad Wasim: 2-0-38-0
Mohammad Hafeez came into the attack, but AB de Villiers showed no signs of slowing down. After Duminy nudged a single off the first ball, AB unleashed back-to-back boundaries-one expertly steered to third man and another hammered to deep mid-wicket. Duminy rotated strike effectively as well, collecting four runs off his next two deliveries.
Score after 10 overs: South Africa Champions 117/1
AB de Villiers: 83 (39) | Duminy: 8 (8)
Runs required: 79 off 60 balls
Hafeez: 1-0-13-0
Sohail Tanvir returned, but AB de Villiers immediately put him under pressure. The South African maestro cracked a four through extra cover, followed it up with a stunning six over deep square leg, and capped off the over with another boundary down to long-off. Tanvir leaked 16 runs in the over, undoing some of the control built by Ajmal.
Score after 9 overs: South Africa Champions 104/1
AB de Villiers: 74 (36) | Duminy: 4 (5)
Runs required: 92 off 11 overs
Tanvir: 2-0-32-0
Saeed Ajmal bowled a tidy second over, conceding just five runs. AB de Villiers managed a couple through extra cover and a few singles followed, but the Pakistan Champions will be happy with how Ajmal has kept things in check after the powerplay.
Score after 8 overs: South Africa Champions 88/1
AB de Villiers: 59 (32) | Duminy: 3 (3)
Runs required: 108 off 12 overs
Ajmal: 2-0-14-1
Wahab Riaz returned for his second over, but AB de Villiers greeted him with a massive six over deep mid-wicket to bring up a quickfire half-century. The over also saw steady rotation of strike between de Villiers and the new batter, Jean-Paul Duminy, who opened his account with a couple of singles.
Score after 7 overs: South Africa Champions 83/1
AB de Villiers: 55 (27) | Duminy: 2 (2)
Runs required: 113 off 13 overs
Riaz: 2-0-21-0
Saeed Ajmal came into the attack and struck in his very first over, removing Hashim Amla for 18. Though the over was expensive with multiple wides and a couple of doubles, Ajmal broke the 72-run opening stand. de Villiers continued to look fluent and moved into the 40s.
Score after 6 overs: South Africa Champions 72/1
de Villiers: 46 (23) | Amla: 18 (14)
Runs required: 124 off 14 overs
Ajmal: 1-0-9-1
Wahab Riaz entered the attack but couldn't contain de Villiers, who picked up a boundary and a couple off a no-ball. Amla rotated the strike smartly, and the openers added 10 runs more to the total without taking risks.
Score after 5 overs: South Africa Champions 63/0
de Villiers: 42 (20) | Amla: 17 (11)
Runs required: 133 off 15 overs
Riaz: 1-0-10-0
Sohail Tanvir came into the attack but was greeted with aggression. Amla began with a wide, followed by quick singles and a crisp boundary. de Villiers then took charge, smashing consecutive fours down the ground. The openers continued their dominant start, keeping the asking rate in check.
Score after 4 overs: South Africa Champions 53/0
de Villiers: 35 (15) | Amla: 15 (9)
Runs required: 143 off 16 overs
Tanvir: 1-0-16-0
Rumman Raees returned for his second over and started with a single from Amla. AB de Villiers then took charge, hammering a four and a massive six over deep mid-wicket to keep the scoreboard ticking. Though Raees managed three dots in between, the pressure remains firmly on the bowling side.
Score after 3 overs: South Africa Champions 37/0
de Villiers: 26 (12) | Amla: 9 (6)
Runs required: 159 off 17 overs
Raees: 2-0-16-0
Imad Wasim's introduction proved expensive as AB de Villiers exploded into action. After a couple of wides and singles from Amla, de Villiers unleashed back-to-back sixes-first over deep mid-wicket, then over long-off-before finishing the over with a stylish boundary through extra cover.
Score after 2 overs: South Africa Champions 26/0
de Villiers: 16 (7) | Amla: 8 (5)
Imad Wasim: 1-0-21-0
Rumman Raees opened the bowling for Pakistan Champions and Hashim Amla got South Africa off the mark with a crisp boundary through point off the second delivery. He added a single next ball, rotating the strike to AB de Villiers. However, de Villiers couldn't get going early, playing out three consecutive dot balls to end the over.
Score after 1 over: South Africa Champions 5/0
Amla: 5 (3) | de Villiers: 0 (3)
Raees: 1-0-5-0
Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers open the innings for South Africa Champions! Rumman Raees has the new ball for Pakistan! 196- Can SA do it? Or will PAK have the last laugh?!
New record set! This 195 score is the highest team-score ever made in the history of WCL Finals! Pakistan stepping up on the big night!
Duanne Olivier returned to bowl the final over of the innings, and it began with a bang as Asif Ali launched the first delivery for a towering six over deep mid-wicket. He followed that with back-to-back doubles, piercing the gaps with power.
However, on the fourth delivery, Olivier had the last laugh-Asif Ali tried to go big again but mistimed his shot, offering a simple catch to Imran Tahir. He departed after a crucial cameo of 28 off just 15 balls (1 four, 2 sixes).
New batter Aamer Yamin came in and managed to collect 2 runs off the fifth ball, but Olivier ended the over with a dot, wrapping up a strong final over with a wicket.
Olivier finishes with figures of 4-0-38-1.
Final Score: Pakistan Champions 195/5 in 20 overs
Umar Amin: 36* (19)
Aamer Yamin: 2* (2)
Asif Ali: 28 (15)
Hardus Viljoen returned to bowl his final over and was taken on by Asif Ali, who upped the ante with some clean hitting. After starting with a dot, Asif smoked a massive six over long-on and followed it up with a powerful four through deep mid-wicket.
He then rotated strike with a single, bringing Umar Amin back on. Viljoen managed to pull things back slightly with a dot to Amin, but a scrambled couple of leg byes off the last delivery kept the scoreboard ticking.
Viljoen ends his spell with figures of 4-0-38-2.
Score after 19 overs: Pakistan Champions 183/4
Umar Amin: 36 (21)
Asif Ali: 18 (11)
Last-wicket partnership: 49 runs (27 balls)
Wayne Parnell returned for his final over and was greeted by a fierce onslaught from Umar Amin. The over started quietly with just a single by Asif Ali and three dot balls to Umar, but the left-hander quickly turned it around in the last two deliveries.
He launched back-to-back sixes-first over fine leg and then over backward square leg-reigniting Pakistan Champions' momentum in the death overs. Parnell finishes with figures of 4-0-32-2.
Score after 18 overs: Pakistan Champions 170/4
Umar Amin: 36 (17)
Asif Ali: 7 (7)
Wayne Parnell: 4-0-32-2
Duanne Olivier returned to put the brakes on the scoring with a disciplined 17th over. He kept both batters-Umar Amin and Asif Ali-on their toes with variations in length and line. The over began with a single to mid-off and a pair of singles and leg byes followed.
Asif tried to push the pace with a couple of runs behind square, but Olivier closed out with a dot ball to finish strong. Only 6 runs came off the over, giving South Africa Champions a much-needed breather.
Score after 17 overs: Pakistan Champions 157/4
Umar Amin: 24 (12)
Asif Ali: 6 (6)
Duanne Olivier: 3-0-26-0
Umar Amin shifted gears in style as Pakistan Champions accelerated in the 16th over. Facing Imran Tahir's final over, Amin opened with a powerful boundary through deep mid-wicket and followed it with a single. Asif Ali rotated strike with a nudge, bringing Amin back on strike.
What followed was an explosive finish - a cracking four over extra cover and a massive six over deep square leg showcased Amin's intent. A single off the final ball took him to 23 off just 9 balls and helped Pakistan Champions cross the 150 mark.
Score after 16 overs: Pakistan Champions 151/4
Umar Amin: 23 (9)
Asif Ali: 2 (3)
Imran Tahir: 4-0-41-0
Wayne Parnell came back into the attack and delivered another tidy over while adding to his wicket tally. After conceding just a single off the first ball, he dismissed Shoaib Malik for 20 with a sharp short delivery that induced a mistimed pull - Sarel Erwee completed the catch in the deep.
Asif Ali came in and managed to get off the mark, but the over yielded just 3 runs and a crucial breakthrough, tilting momentum slightly in South Africa Champions' favor.
Score after 15 overs: Pakistan Champions 134/4
Umar Amin: 7 (4)
Asif Ali: 1 (2)
Wayne Parnell: 3-0-19-2
Hardus Viljoen returned to the attack and immediately made an impact by removing the dangerous Sharjeel Khan. After a couple of singles and a leg bye, Viljoen trapped Sharjeel plumb in front with a skiddy delivery. The southpaw walks back after a blistering 76 off 44 balls, which included 9 fours and 4 sixes.
Umar Amin, the new batter, got going right away with a boundary to third man and a single to end the over, but the big breakthrough has halted Pakistan Champions' momentum slightly.
Score after 14 overs: Pakistan Champions 131/3
Shoaib Malik: 20 (23)
Umar Amin: 5 (2)
Hardus Viljoen: 3-0-27-2
Aaron Phangiso bore the brunt of Sharjeel Khan's onslaught in his final over. The left-hander launched the first ball over deep mid-wicket for a massive six, and followed it up with back-to-back boundaries - one carved over mid-wicket and the other lofted straight down the ground.
Though the fourth and fifth deliveries produced singles, Sharjeel capped off the over in emphatic fashion, dispatching another six into the crowd over deep mid-wicket to bring up 22 runs off the over.
A statement over from Pakistan Champions as Sharjeel storms into the 70s, turning the momentum firmly in their favour.
Score after 13 overs: Pakistan Champions 123/2
Sharjeel Khan: 76 (42)
Shoaib Malik: 18 (21)
Aaron Phangiso: 4-0-39-0
Led by AB de Villiers, the South Africa Champions have looked formidable throughout the competition. Winning four of their last five encounters, they've shown remarkable depth and grit. Their latest triumph came in the semi-final against Australia Champions, where they held their nerve to secure a heart-stopping one-run win. However, their only defeat in the tournament came at the hands of the Pakistan Champions-adding an extra layer of intrigue to the rematch.
On the other side, the Pakistan Champions, captained by Mohammad Hafeez, enter the final as the only unbeaten team in the tournament. They have displayed control, cohesion, and confidence throughout the group stage. Their semi-final match against India Champions, however, never materialized due to geopolitical tensions following a terror attack, which led the Indian side to pull out. As a result, Pakistan progressed directly to the final.
This match offers a golden opportunity for Pakistan to clinch the title after falling short in the previous edition. Meanwhile, South Africa will be determined to even the score and lift the WCL trophy for the first time. Both squads are brimming with legendary players, and the hunger for silverware is clear.
With pride, rivalry, and redemption all on the line, fans can expect an electrifying contest when these two in-form sides collide at Edgbaston.
Pakistan Champions Squad: Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Kamran Akmal(w), Fawad Alam, Umar Amin, Asif Ali, Shoaib Malik(c), Imad Wasim, Aamer Yamin, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Rumman Raees, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq.
South Africa Champions Squad: JJ Smuts, AB de Villiers(c), Morne van Wyk(w), Sarel Erwee, Jean-Paul Duminy, Henry Davids, Wayne Parnell, Hardus Viljoen, Jacques Rudolph, Aaron Phangiso, Duanne Olivier, Imran Tahir, Albie Morkel, Hashim Amla, Chris Morris, Dane Vilas, Richard Levi.