Aiden Markram smacked 82 not out off 46 balls as South Africa beat West Indies by 9 wickets to keep up their unbeaten report on the 2026 T20 World Cup.
South Africa’s captain struck seven fours and 4 sixes as South Africa chased 177 with 23 balls to spare to maneuver two factors clear on the prime of Group 1 within the Tremendous 8s and put one foot within the semi-finals.
The 31-year-old, who introduced up his half-century off 27 balls, shared a 95-run opening stand with Quinton de Kock (47 off 24) earlier than the wicketkeeper was eliminated by Roston Chase within the eighth over. Ryan Rickelton chipped in with a quickfire 45 not out off 28 at quantity three.
Markram sealed South Africa’s fifth win of the match in Ahmedabad together with his eleventh boundary.
The victory places the Proteas on the verge of the semi-finals with out making them mathematically positive. They’ll undergo if India beat Zimbabwe in Thursday’s other game. West Indies play India of their remaining match of the group figuring out a defeat will doubtless remove them.
South Africa, finalists in 2024, ought to have been chasing a considerably decrease whole after taking 4 wickets within the powerplay and later decreasing West Indies to 83-7.
Nevertheless, the two-time champions fought again via Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder, who placed on 89 (57) for the eighth wicket to pull West Indies past 170.
After smacking spinner Keshav Maharaj’s opening over for 17, West Indies, who piled on 254-6 in opposition to Zimbabwe of their Tremendous 8 opener on Monday, misplaced 4 wickets in 11 balls to hunch from 29-0 to 43-4 inside 4 overs, with Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi gathering two wickets apiece.
Sherfane Rutherford, who could not capitalise on being dropped on three, Rovman Powell, and Matthew Forde joined the procession again to the dressing room earlier than Shepherd and Holder got here collectively within the eleventh over.
After rebuilding steadily, the pair burst into life from the 15-over mark, Shepherd accelerating from 21 (17) to complete unbeaten on 52 (37) and Holder reaching 49 (31) earlier than being run-out off the penultimate ball of the innings.
They added 58 runs off the ultimate 5 overs, together with Holder taking the 18th, bowled by Marco Jansen, for 23.
