South Africa make dominant start to T20 World Cup with 57-run win over Canada

South Africa began their T20 World Cup campaign in commanding fashion, defeating Canada by 57 runs in Ahmedabad on Monday to underline their strong title credentials.

While associate nations troubled higher-ranked teams in the opening three days of the tournament, Canada were unable to pose a similar challenge to the 2024 runners-up. One of the leading contenders for the title behind co-hosts India, the Proteas controlled the match from start to finish.

Batting first, South Africa posted the highest team total of the tournament so far, scoring 213 for 4 in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Aiden Markram led the charge with 59, while opener Quinton de Kock contributed 25 and Ryan Rickelton added 35. David Miller and Tristan Stubbs provided the finishing touches, remaining unbeaten on 39 and 34 respectively.

Canada’s chase got off to a disastrous start. Lungi Ngidi struck with the very first ball of the innings, having captain Dilpreet Bajwa caught behind. The fast bowler then claimed two more wickets in his second over to leave Canada reeling at 26 for 3.

Navneet Dhaliwal offered some resistance, sharing a 69-run partnership with Harsh Thaker to stabilise the innings. However, Canada ultimately fell short, finishing on 156 for 8 at the end of their 20 overs.

With this victory, South Africa join New Zealand at the top of Group D, after the Black Caps defeated Afghanistan in their opening match.

South Africa will face Afghanistan in their next fixture on Wednesday, also in Ahmedabad, while Canada are scheduled to play the United Arab Emirates on Friday.