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Following Aiden Markram’s leadership, the South African National Cricket Team competed in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against India, led by Rohit Sharma, on Saturday, June 29, at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. This marked the first instance of two undefeated teams meeting in a T20 World Cup final.
The Proteas opted to bowl first, successfully limiting India to 176/7. Keshav Maharaj and Anrich Nortje delivered exceptional bowling performances, claiming two wickets each, while Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen contributed with one wicket each.
In their chase, South Africa faced a challenging start but revived their innings through a partnership between Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen’s aggressive fifty put them on course for their inaugural ICC title. However, his dismissal shifted the momentum, and South Africa ultimately finished at 169/8, falling short by 7 runs.
Reflecting on the outcome, Aiden Markram, captain of the South African National Cricket Team, expressed disappointment in the loss but conveyed his pride in the team’s efforts. He remarked:
“Gutted for the time being. It’ll take some time for us to have a really good reflection on a really good campaign the group had. Obviously for the time being, like I mentioned, it hurts quite a bit. Having said that, I’m incredibly proud of this group of players and everyone involved with the team. I feel they bowled well.”
Aiden Markram pointed out that despite limiting India to a reachable score, his team faltered under the pressure of the scoreboard. He emphasized:
“Don’t think there was a whole lot to work with with regards to the pitch. Thought they did well to restrict them to what we thought was a chaseable total. Thought we batted really well as well, and it came down to the wire. Really good game of cricket. We’ve seen with a lot of our games in this campaign – it’s never over till the last ball is bowled. We never got comfortable, there’s always an element of scoreboard pressure. And especially at the back end, things happen quite quickly and can turn quite quickly as well.”
Aiden Markram expressed that based on their performance, they had the potential to win the game, but regrettably, they fell short. He stated:
“Having said that, we got into a great position which proves we’re worthy finalists. Could’ve won the game today. Unfortunately we didn’t. Still, like I mentioned, incredibly proud of the group. Hopefully in a really good way (how does this set them up for the future?). One thing guaranteed about a South African wherever they are in the world is they’re a really competitive person, really respectful person and a person that’ll go down with a fight. Hopefully looking forward we can draw a lot from those few things and keep putting the skill side of the sport to good use. It’s still a proud moment for us.”
South Africa’s journey in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 mirrored India’s undefeated run through both the group stage and Super 8 phase, culminating in their appearance in the tournament’s final showdown. In the group stage, the Proteas were placed alongside Bangladesh, Nepal, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka.
Under the leadership of Aiden Markram, South Africa began their campaign on a strong note with a convincing 6-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on June 3. Their encounter with the Netherlands on June 8 proved tense, as the Dutch had been formidable opponents in previous World Cups. Despite the challenge, South Africa managed to secure a 4-wicket win with 7 balls remaining.
Facing Bangladesh on June 10, the Markram-led side endured another close contest but emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 4 runs. Their match against Nepal was equally challenging, almost resulting in a major upset, yet South Africa narrowly clinched victory by just 1 run.
Advancing to the Super 8s, South Africa found themselves in group 2, facing formidable opponents such as West Indies, England, and the USA. They began this phase by defeating the USA by 18 runs on June 19, followed by a hard-fought 7-run win over England on June 21. Their crucial victory over West Indies by 3 wickets with 5 balls remaining secured their spot in the semi-finals.
In the semi-final clash against Afghanistan, known for their giant-killing performances, South Africa showcased their best performance yet. The pitch conditions in Tarouba favored the bowlers, allowing South Africa to dismiss Afghanistan for a paltry 56 runs. They chased down the target comfortably with 67 balls to spare, winning by 9 wickets and securing their first-ever World Cup final berth.
