South Africa has been clubbed with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, and Nepal in Group D. They would begin their journey against Sri Lanka in New York on 3rd June.
The Proteas would be looking to perform brilliantly and qualify for the next stage, winning all their matches in the Group. They have named a strong squad comprising top-quality batters performing well in the recently concluded IPL.
They can go a long way in the tournament and need to handle pressure in knockout matches winning their maiden T20 title. Here we look at the key players.
Reeza Hendricks
Reeza Hendricks has done well for the South African team in the shortest format. He along with Quinton de Kock could play a key role in providing solid starts to the tournament and keep pressure on the opponent bowlers.
Hendricks made his T20I debut for South Africa on 5th November 2014. Since then, he has played 59 matches (58 innings) so far with 1827 with the best score of 87.
He will be eyeing a chance in the playing XI and hopes to create an impact that would help South Africa to post or chase down targets easily.
Aiden Markram
Aiden Markram has been appointed as the captain of the South African side for the T20 World Cup 2024. His performance in the recently concluded IPL was not great as he failed to play big knocks.
Markram was a part of South Africa that got knocked out in the 2022 edition of the tournament. He made his T20I debut for South Africa against Sri Lanka on 22nd March 2019. The stylish right-handed batter played a total of 39 matches (35 innings) so far with 1118 runs including the best score of 70.
His performance with the bat would decide the fate of the South African team. He will be an ideal option to come at number 3 if they lose an early wicket. Markram will be a handy choice as spin bowling option along with Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj, and Fortuin depending upon the situation.
Tristian Stubbs
Tristian Stubbs had a great season for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024. He showed his class an array of strokes against the spinners and pace bowlers. Stubbs made 378 runs from 14 matches (13 innings) with 3 half-centuries to his name including the best score of 71 not out. During IPL 2024, Stubbs hit with a strike rate of 190.90.
Stubbs would play a major role in the middle order providing impetus in the death overs which will allow South Africa to win matches on his own. He will provide support with the likes of Miller and Klassen who can change the course of the match with their power-hitting.
Stubbs will be playing his first T20 World Cup and would be keen to make an impact with his explosive hitting. Stubbs has played just 17 T20I matches (13 innings) with best score of 72.
Tabriz Shamsi
Tabriz Shamsi will play a key role for the South African team to pick wickets in the middle overs. He can change the course of the game with variations and not allow the opponent batters to score runs easily.
Shamsi is the leading wicket-taker for South Africa in T20Is. He has played 65 T20I matches with 78 wickets at an economy of 7.38 runs per over. During his performance with South Africa, Shamsi grabbed figures of 5 for 24.
His role would be key for South Africa to stem the flow of runs and pick wickets to make sure that opponents do not post big totals.
Shamsi played only 2 matches in the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup with 4 wickets at an economy of 7 runs per over including best figures of 3 for 20. With the conditions likely to help the spinners, Shamsi would be a key factor for South Africa along with Maharaj.
Anrich Nortje
Anrich Nortje will be returning to the South African squad after a long injury layoff. He could not perform well for Delhi Capitals going for plenty of runs. After his disappointing outings, he was dropped from the playing XI.
Nortje was the leading wicket-taker for South Africa in the 2022 edition of the World Cup. He ended with 11 wickets from 5 matches (5 innings) at an economy of 8.54 runs per over.
With an inexperienced bowling lineup, Nortje would be hoping to provide early wickets in the first six overs along with Kagiso Rabada. His role is to bowl fast with accuracy and make sure that he does not get injured which would hamper their chances.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
