AHMEDABAD: In a dominant display at the Narendra Modi Stadium, South Africa crushed West Indies by 9 wickets on Thursday in the T20 World Cup 2026. Captain Aiden Markram stole the show with an unbeaten 82 off just 46 balls, etching his name into the record books.
Markram’s blistering knock, laced with 7 fours and 4 sixes, propelled South Africa to chase down West Indies’ 177 in only 16.1 overs. He now stands as the second-highest run-scorer as captain in a single T20 World Cup edition with 264 runs, surpassing India’s Rohit Sharma’s 257.
For South Africa, Markram has become the top run-getter in one tournament, eclipsing Quinton de Kock’s 243 from 2024. His leadership also matched New Zealand’s Kane Williamson with 14 wins as captain in T20 World Cups, placing them joint-second behind MS Dhoni’s 21.
The chase began explosively with Markram and de Kock (47 off 24) adding 95 runs in 48 balls for the first wicket. Ryan Rickelton’s 45 off 28 sealed the super-8 victory, South Africa’s second in a row. West Indies’ total looked insufficient against this onslaught, highlighting South Africa’s batting prowess under Markram’s guidance.