South Africa is one of the two teams that have maintained an undefeated record in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Unlike India, the other unbeaten team, the Proteas have had to fight hard for their victories. Their wins have been narrow and could have easily gone the other way, but luck has favoured them on several occasions. They managed to secure an 18-run victory against the USA, a seven-run win over England, and a three-wicket triumph against the West Indies in the Super Eights. Now, they are set to face Afghanistan in the semi-finals.

Ahead of this crucial match, South African skipper Aiden Markram has acknowledged that the team’s batting lineup has not been performing at its peak throughout the tournament. He noted that challenging conditions have often been a factor, but he remains optimistic about his team’s potential to improve in the remaining matches.

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“From a batting point of view, we’ve shown good signs but haven’t been at our best, sometimes due to conditions being quite tough and other times just giving it away. The opportunity lies in the fact that we haven’t put a complete game of cricket together yet and we have trust in the fact that if we are able to do so, it puts us in a really good position,” Aiden Markram told Sowetan Live.

Markram emphasized the importance of the team environment and the experience of the players in fostering trust and commitment on the field. “The environment you are able to create in the changeroom, along with experience, plays a big role in how things look on the field. Guys have a lot of trust in each other and are willing to put everything on the line for each other. What you see from an actions perspective on the field, along with the effort, has helped to put us in a really nice position,” he added.

Reflecting on their past performance, South Africa reached the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup 2023 but were defeated by Australia at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The early setbacks in that match were detrimental, but the Proteas are determined to learn from those mistakes.

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With the hope of making it to the finals of the T20 World Cup for the first time in history, they are ready to give their best effort in the upcoming semi-final against Afghanistan. The team’s journey has been a testament to resilience and unity, qualities that will be crucial as they aim for the ultimate prize.