3 min learnUp to date: Feb 9, 2026 11:55 PM IST
South Africa averted the air of upsets that has been lingering because the begin of the T20 World Cup as they opened their marketing campaign with a convincing 57-run win over Canada on the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.
Led by a half-century from Aiden Markram and durable cameos from David Miller and Tristan Stubbs on the demise, South Africa placed on an almost spotless batting efficiency regardless of being acknowledged partly by the Canada spinners within the center part. Despatched in to bat first by Canada skipper Dilpreet Bajwa on a largely benign strip, South Africa persistently maintained a agency scoring charge, gathering 10 runs per over on a mean regardless of shedding Quinton de Kock early on. Dropped within the third over at short-third, de Kock didn’t construct on his repreive as Bajwa cleaned up the left-hander on 25.
SA vs CAN HIGLIGHTS
Nevertheless, led by a weight-reduction plan of enthalling photographs by Markram by means of the sq. and down the groud, the Proteas motored previous 100 in 59 deliveries. Nevertheless, Canada’s slower bowlers introduced their aspect again into the competition with wily left-arm wrist-spinner Ansh Patel constricting the batters by pushing deliveries away from their hitting arcs. Shortly after Markram holed out off Patel, courtesy a blinder of a catch by seamer Dilon Heyliger at long-on, the left-armer dismissed Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis within the area of 4 deliveries, each batters mistiming their slogs off the deck. Nevertheless, the veteran Miller and Stubbs ensured that the Saffers regained the stalled momentum within the slug overs. The pair collected 82 runs within the final 37 deliveries, together with a 21-run last over off seamer Jaskaran Singh, comprising three sixes.
A Canada riposte was nipped within the bud with pacer Lungi Ngidi dismissing skipper Bajwa caught-behind for a golden duck within the first supply of the chase, earlier than dismissing Yuvraj Samra and Nicholas Kirton off his skiddy lengths in his second over. With Kagiso Rabada hurtling previous Siddarth Mova, decreasing Canada to 45 for 4 inside the Powerplay, the remainder of the story was a foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, a plucky Navneet Dhaliwal denied the Proteas full satisfaction as he dragged the sport to the ultimate over. The No. 3 displayed a spread of photographs by means of the sq., recording his highest rating on the T20 World Cup earlier than holing out within the last over for 64 off 49 deliveries. Ngidi remained the choose of the Proteas tempo quartet, registering figures of 4 for 31.
The win put South Africa on prime of Group D which additionally consists of Afghanistan, New Zealand and the UAE in rivalry. Markram and Co. are slated to play their subsequent two video games towards the Afghans and the Kiwis on the identical venue earlier than wrapping up their group-stage marketing campaign in Delhi.