It is time! The ICC T20 World Cup is finally in full swing, as 20 of the best teams in the world will gather in India and Sri Lanka to bat it out in the 10th edition of the men’s 20-over global showpiece.
The Proteas head to the tournament with one mission, which is to redeem themselves and, hopefully, this time around, not just make it all the way to the final, but to be crowned the T20 World Cup champions.
How sweet it would be for South Africa to actually win the T20 World Cup on Indian soil, after their dream of winning a first limited-overs Cricket World Cup title since 1998 was shattered by India in Barbados, who beat them by seven runs in 2024.
But now, the Proteas have an opportunity to chase and vindicate themselves, especially with their confidencethrough the roof, following a convincing T20-International series victory over the West Indies last week.
Leading the team out will be Aiden Markram, who captained the side at the 2024 final.
The 31-year-old is one of the seven survivors from the team that came close, yet so far to ending a drought of over 20 years.
“For me, [this year’s T20 World Cup] is a clean slate, a new opportunity to start from scratch and to play good cricket initially, to earn the right to go and chase a trophy,” Markram said shortly before the team’s departure to India at the OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Monday.
“Some may have parked it; some may use it as motivation. You don’t want to, I mean, yes, it is a World Cup, but you don’t want to blow it out of proportion.
“You’ve got a job at hand on the cricket field, and if you can get yourself in that frame of mind to do that job well, then I think we give ourselves a good chance,” Markram added.
The Proteas squad is a mix of experienced and young,
exciting players, who will, without a shadow of a doubt, shake things up in India and Sri Lanka.
The two most notable youngsters in the team who have great potential to lead South African cricket in the future include Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka, who once again showed their talent at the highest level against the West Indies.
The Proteas open their campaign against Canada tomorrow afternoon, before facing Afghanistan, New Zealand, and the UAE in Group D.
Like any other major competition, winning the first game will be crucial, as it will set the tone for the next game and possibly the rest of the tournament.
The Proteas will go into the game as outright favourites against a Canadian outfit that will have nothing to lose but a point to prove, as they will be making their maiden appearance at the T20 World Cup.
Full Proteas T20 World Cup squad:
Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Jason Smith, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje.
