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3 min readUpdated: Feb 9, 2026 11:55 PM IST
T20 World Cup 2026: Ngidi remained the pick of the South Africa pace quartet, registering figures of four for 31 against Canada. (AP Photo)
South Africa averted the air of upsets that has been lingering since the start of the T20 World Cup as they opened their campaign with a convincing 57-run win over Canada at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.
Led by a half-century from Aiden Markram and sturdy cameos from David Miller and Tristan Stubbs at the death, South Africa put on a nearly spotless batting performance despite being stated partly by the Canada spinners in the middle phase. Sent in to bat first by Canada skipper Dilpreet Bajwa on a largely benign strip, South Africa consistently maintained a firm scoring rate, collecting 10 runs per over on an average despite losing Quinton de Kock early on. Dropped in the third over at short-third, de Kock failed to build on his repreive as Bajwa cleaned up the left-hander on 25.
However, led by a diet of enthalling shots by Markram through the square and down the groud, the Proteas motored past 100 in 59 deliveries. However, Canada’s slower bowlers brought their side back into the contest 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 in the space of four deliveries, both batters mistiming their slogs off the deck. However, the veteran Miller and Stubbs ensured that the Saffers regained the stalled momentum in the slug overs. The pair collected 82 runs in the last 37 deliveries, including a 21-run final over off seamer Jaskaran Singh, comprising three sixes.
A Canada riposte was nipped in the bud with pacer Lungi Ngidi dismissing skipper Bajwa caught-behind for a golden duck in the first delivery of the chase, before dismissing Yuvraj Samra and Nicholas Kirton off his skiddy lengths in his second over. With Kagiso Rabada hurtling past Siddarth Mova, reducing Canada to 45 for four within the Powerplay, the rest of the tale was a foregone conclusion. However, a plucky Navneet Dhaliwal denied the Proteas complete satisfaction as he dragged the game to the final over. The No. 3 displayed a range of shots through the square, recording his highest score at the T20 World Cup before holing out in the final over for 64 off 49 deliveries. Ngidi remained the pick of the Proteas pace quartet, registering figures of four for 31.
The win put South Africa on top of Group D which also includes Afghanistan, New Zealand and the UAE in contention. Markram and Co. are slated to play their next two games against the Afghans and the Kiwis at the same venue before wrapping up their group-stage campaign in Delhi.
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