In a dominant display at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, South Africa steamrolled West Indies by nine wickets in the T20 World Cup Super 8 clash on Thursday. Chasing a challenging 177, the Proteas romped home in just 16.1 overs, losing only one wicket.
Captain Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock set the tone with a blistering 95-run opening stand off 48 balls. De Kock smashed 47 off 24 balls before falling to Roston Chase. Markram then paired up with Ryan Rickelton, adding an unbroken 82 off 49 balls to seal the chase. Markram remained not out on 82 from 46 balls, laced with seven fours and four sixes, while Rickelton contributed 45 off 28.
Earlier, West Indies posted 176 for 8 in their 20 overs, powered by Romario Shepherd’s unbeaten 52 off 37 balls and Jason Holder’s 49 off 31. But the rest of the lineup faltered, with captain Shai Hope out for 16, Brandon King 21, Shimron Hetmyer 2, Rovman Powell 9, and others struggling. At one point, they were reeling at 83 for 7 before Holder and Shepherd’s 89-run stand rescued them to a respectable total.
South Africa’s bowlers were clinical. Lungi Ngidi starred with 3 for 30, while Kagiso Rabada and Corbin Bosch grabbed two wickets each. This victory marks South Africa’s second consecutive win in Super 8 Group 1, following their 76-run thrashing of India. They now top the group with a net run rate of +2.890.
The result boosts India’s semi-final hopes indirectly, easing pressure on Suryakumar Yadav’s side, who now need wins in their remaining two games.