The Black Caps won the toss and opted to bowl first, sending South Africa out to bat first.

The Proteas, who had impressed throughout the tournament with their balanced squad, were unable to withstand a composed New Zealand chase.

Batting first, South Africa posted a total of 169/8, with notable contributions from their middle order from Dewald Brevis (34), Tristan Stubbs (29) and Marco Jansen (55).

However, early wickets in the innings prevented the team from building the momentum needed to post a truly challenging score.

New Zealand’s bowlers, led by their spinners and incisive pace attack, consistently applied pressure, restricting South Africa’s scoring options.

In response, New Zealand’s top order played with maturity and patience, steadily pacing their chase.

Key partnerships between Tim Seifert (58) and Finn Allen (100) ensured the required runs were accumulated without panic, as the Kiwis comfortably reached the target with seven wickets in hand.

The defeat marks a disappointing end for South Africa, who had looked like strong contenders for the title.

While their campaign showcased moments of brilliance, the semi-final loss underlined the need for sharper execution under high-pressure situations.

New Zealand, on the other hand, advanced to the final, having displayed clinical batting and disciplined bowling when it mattered most.

The post Proteas Crash Out of WC After Semi-Final Defeat to New Zealand appeared first on SportsClub.

Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to go out and bat first, sending South Africa out to bowl in Delhi.

Zim captain Sikandar Raza played a starring role after hitting a score of 73 runs off 43 balls as Zimbabwe’s total score came to 153 for seven wickets.

The South African side had 120 balls to chase a score total of 154 runs.

Dewald Brevis scored the most runs for the Proteas with 42 runs off 18 balls, while the likes of Ryan Rickelton (22), David Miller (22), Tristan Stubbs (21), and George Linde (30) all hit up a decent score.

South Africa went on to secure the win with five wickets to spare to maintain their unbeaten record at the World Cup.

The Proteas will now take on New Zealand in the first semi-final clash at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon.

ZIMBABWE: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (capt), Tony Munyonga, Clive Madande, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani

PROTEAS: Aiden Markram (capt), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Kwena Maphaka, Corbin Bosch, George Linde, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje

Image Credit: Proteas/X

The post Protea Finish Super Eights Strong with Convincing Win Over Zim appeared first on SportsClub.

South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl and send the Windies out to bat first.

West Indies duo Romario Shepherd (52) and Jason Holder (49) put up a sensational partnership of 89 from just 59 balls.

Lungi Ngidi took three wickets, with Corbin Bosch and Kagiso Rabada adding two each, as South Africa limited the West Indies to a competitive 176-8.

South Africa needed 177 runs to win the match and they did not disappoint as

Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock hit up a partnership of 95-1 before de Kock was bowled out by Roston Chase.

However, Markram hit up a score of 82 runs from 46 balls, while Ryan Rickelton struck 45 runs from 28 balls to guide South Africa to victory over the West Indies.

South Africa have now moved to the top of the standings in the Super 8 Group 1, with Zimbabwe left to play in thre group.

PROTEAS: Quinton de Kock (wkt), Aiden Markram (captain), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

WEST INDIES: Brandon King, Shai Hope (captain/wkt), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph

The post Markram fires Proteas to victory over West Indies in T20 World Cup appeared first on SportsClub.

After being put in to bat, South Africa produced a clinical all-round display, posting a competitive total of 187-7.

The Proteas’ bowlers then took control, applying relentless pressure with early breakthroughs and tight lines that prevented India from building any meaningful momentum, bowling them out for 111.

Regular wickets and sharp fielding ensured India’s chase never gained traction, as the Proteas wrapped up a dominant win to strengthen their position in the Super 8 stage and continue their impressive tournament form.

Proteas: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wkt), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

INDIA: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wkt), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Bube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

Photo Credit: Proteas/X

The post Proteas Thrash India by 76 Runs in Super 8 Opener appeared first on SportsClub.

Corbin Bosch played a starting role with the ball, claiming figures of 3-12 to help limit the United Arab Emirates to 122-6.

Captain Aiden Markram blasted 28 off just 11 balls, while Dewald Brevis added 36 from 25 deliveries as South Africa surged to a comfortable six-wicket win.

As a result, South Africa finished the group stages with a perfect record, claiming four wins from four matches.

WATCH: Proteas vs UAE

The post Bosch & Brevis Fire Proteas to Commanding Win appeared first on SportsClub.

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bowl first, sending South Africa out to bat.

The Proteas managed to hit up a score of 187-6, with Quinton De Kock hitting a score of 59 runs, while Ryan Rickelton smashed 61 runs from 28 balls.

Meanwhile, Dewald Brevis made 23 runs from 19 balls and David Miller made 20 runs from 15 balls not out and Marco Jansen made 16-7.

The Afghan Atalans had to chase a total of 187 and needed a total of 188 to win the match, but they were unable to reach that total, forcing the game to be settled in a super over.

Neither side were able to win in the super over after both teams made 17 runs, sending the game into another Super Over.

The match was finally decided when South Africa hit a score of 23, while Afghanistan were condemned to 19 runs.

As a result, the Proteas went on to secure the win after a historic second Super Over in what could be a topsy-turvy match between South Africa and Afghanistan.

Photo Credit: ProteasMenCSA/X

The post Proteas secure win over Afghanistan after two Super Overs appeared first on SportsClub.

Canada won the toss opted to bowl and sent the South Africans out to bat first.

The Proteas were expertly marshalled by captain Aiden Markram, who struck 59 runs off 32 balls at the top of the order.

He was supported by Quinton de Kock, who racked up 25 runs, Ryan Rickelton on 33, David Miller with 39 not out and Tristan Stubbs, who ended with 34 runs not out.

South Africa managed to hit up a score of 213-4, which is the highest total in this year’s competition so far.

Navneet Dhaliwal was Canada’s best performer on the day as he hit up a score of 64 before he ultimately fell, as Canada were restricted to 156-8, with Lungi Ngidi taking four wickets and Marco Jansen taking two, while also taking a wicket of his own.

The win sees South Africa lead Group D with two points, alongside New Zealand in second place.

The post Markram, Ngidi stars as Proteas thump Canada appeared first on SportsClub.

In the last three years, South Africa have made it to three T20 World Cup finals across men’s and women’s national sides but the trophy is out of reach.

The feeling is that it may be fourth time lucky at this year’s tournament, which will be played between 8 February and 8 March across eight venues in India and Sri Lanka.

India are the defending champions after beating South Africa in Barbados in 2024 and will hope home advantage can help them defend their title but there are plenty of strong contenders.

Former champions Pakistan, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia will all be looking to reclaim the crown while New Zealand and South Africa are among those aiming for a first title.

It is also an exciting time for smaller teams to mix it with the best and one, Italy, will be making their first T20 World Cup appearance.

HOW IT WORKS

This is the second 20-team T20 World Cup, in which teams are divided into four groups of five, who all play each other once.

During the group stage, there will be three matches on every day from 7 to 19 February.

The top two teams from each group go into the Super Eights, where they will play one team from each of the other three groups.

The Super Eight fixtures are determined based on pre-tournament seedings, which means that teams already have quite a good idea of who they might face.

The top two teams from each of the Super Eight groups go into the semi-finals before the final, which will be played in the world’s largest cricket venue in Ahmedabad.

HOW SOUTH AFRICA ARE POSITIONED

South Africa are in Group D, which might stand for group of death, alongside Afghanistan, New Zealand, Canada and the UAE which makes their group one of the two with three Full Members.

They will be expected to beat the Associate sides of Canada and the UAE but it will be a tough tussle for a top-two finish between South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan.

Historically, South Africa have the edge over both other sides and will be confident of topping the group.

They have beaten New Zealand in 11 of their 18 meetings, and all four times they have met at T20 World Cups, while they have never lost a T20I to Afghanistan.

That includes a nine-wicket win at the 2024 semi-finals.

The other three groups all have two clear favourites with India and Pakistan in Group A, Australia and Sri Lanka in Group B and England and West Indies in Group C.

Expect South Africa’s Group D to be a fight.

CAPTAIN AND COACH

While Aiden Markram led South Africa to the 2024 T20 World Cup final and has experience of major tournaments, this will be all-format coach Shukri Conrad’s first limited-overs competition in charge of the team.

Conrad took over the whiteball duties from Rob Walter, who is now New Zealand’s coach, in July last year and has had plenty of time to get used to the job.

In preparation for this World Cup, South Africa played series in Zimbabwe, Australia, England, Pakistan, India and at home against West Indies for a total of 21 T20Is in seven months leading up to the tournament.

A little known fact about Conrad is that when he first applied for the national coaching job, he hoped he would get the whiteball role because he felt it suited his style more.

Conrad enjoys an attacking, entertaining style of play and won both the domestic fifty-over and T20 trophies in his time with the Cape Cobras (now Western Province).

He also oversaw South Africa’s success at the World Test Championship final in June 2025 and thrives in high-pressure situations.

In Markram, Conrad has a captain that has led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to successive SA20 titles and won an Under-19 World Cup with South Africa in 2014.

Between them, they will hope to have the experience to get South Africa over the line.

WHO CAN MAKE AN IMPACT?

Quinton de Kock retired from ODIs in November 2023 and disappeared from the national conversation after the 2024 T20 World Cup but came back in from the cold 15 months later when he recommitted to white-ball formats.

It did not take him too long to find his rhythm and he scored a century in his second ODI back in November 2025.

In that innings, De Kock proved he had lost none of his touch.

He is still a big hitter, who can use the pull shot aggressively and clears the boundary rope with ease.

De Kock is a proven big occasion player after finishing as South Africa’s leading run-scorer at the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup and another strong performance from him will be key to South Africa’s chances.

Another returnee is speedster Anrich Nortje, who did not play for South Africa for 16 months between the 2024 T20 World Cup final and their tour to India in December 2025 as he recovered from a series of injuries.

Fit again, he is one of South Africa’s most dangerous weapons and an obvious choice for the tournament.

Nortje is South Africa’s leading wickettaker at T20 World Cups and has taken 35 across three tournaments at an eye-watering average of 11.40.

With raw pace and late swing, Nortje is usually entrusted with doing damage at the start of the opposition’s innings but since he has developed a leg-cutter, he can also be used at the death.

In combination with Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi South Africa will have one of the quickest pace packs at the event. Backed up by a good spinner in the form of Keshav Maharaj, they have enough variation to make runscoring difficult.

The post Ready, Steady, Hit! appeared first on SportsClub.

WATCH: South Africa vs West Indies

The post Highlights: South Africa vs West Indies appeared first on SportsClub.

WATCH: South Africa vs West Indies

The post Highlights: South Africa vs West Indies appeared first on SportsClub.