South Africa's Proteas secured a convincing nine-wicket victory over West Indies in the 2026 T20 World Cup Super Eights, with Kagiso Rabada claiming two key wickets after captain Aiden Markram's public support. Markram then anchored the chase with an unbeaten 82. The win keeps South Africa unbeaten in the tournament.
In a dominant display during the 2026 T20 World Cup Super Eights, South Africa bowled first after winning the toss and restricted West Indies to 176 for eight on a batting-friendly pitch. Kagiso Rabada, backed by captain Aiden Markram, delivered a strong performance with figures of two for 22 in four overs. Markram had praised Rabada beforehand, saying, “He’s been leading from the front, as he’s always done. It doesn’t always reflect in the numbers and performance. But behind closed doors, he’s putting a lot of love into the team and sharing a lot of information with the guys.”
The Proteas opened their bowling with spinner Keshav Maharaj, who conceded 17 runs in the first over, prompting Markram to introduce Rabada. Rabada struck immediately, dismissing West Indies skipper Shai Hope and dangerman Shimron Hetmyer— who had scored 85 off 34 balls in a prior match against Zimbabwe— reducing the opponents to 31 for two.
Lungi Ngidi built on this momentum, taking three for 30, including opener Brandon King (21 off 11), Rovman Powell, and Roston Chase. Ngidi's tournament tally reached 11 wickets. Corbin Bosch contributed two for 31, bringing his total to nine wickets, with at least one per match played.
Romario Shepherd remained unbeaten on 52 for West Indies. In the chase, Markram and Quinton de Kock opened with a 95-run partnership before de Kock fell for 47 to Chase. Markram finished unbeaten on 82 off 46 balls, supported by Ryan Rickelton's 45 off 28, as South Africa reached 177 for one with 23 balls to spare.
This victory, following a win over India on February 22, extends South Africa's unbeaten run and their T20 World Cup record against West Indies to five wins in six matches. Despite the result, semi-final qualification is not yet mathematically secured.
