Aiden Markram led from the front as South Africa sent out a strong warning to the rivals with a commanding nine-wicket victory over West Indies in their respective second Super Eight Group 1 clash of the T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday (February 26, 2026).

In pursuit of 177, Markram toyed with the Caribbean bowlers, scoring an unbeaten 82 (46b, 7×4, 4×6) and putting his side on the cusp of the semifinals. India’s victory over Zimbabwe later in the evening assured the Proteas a spot in the last-four stage.

The Proteas had already shown how well prepared they were by tactically taking down India at this venue three days ago, and this performance reiterated their billing as one of the favourites for the title.

Right from the first over of the chase, the South African skipper was in such a dominant mood that he casually strolled down to the pacers and smacked them over the infield at will. When they tried to cramp him for room, he simply stood to the leg side of the deliveries to loft them over midwicket for a couple of sixes.

Big opening stand

Soon, Quinton de Kock joined the action, depositing Shamar Joseph twice into the stands before taking on the spinners, as the duo added 95 for the opening wicket.

After de Kock departed, Ryan Rickelton ensured there would be no respite as he and his skipper overhauled the target with 23 balls to spare.

The platform for the win, though, was set up by the South African pacers, led by Lungi Ngidi (three for 30).

Electing to bowl, Kagiso Rabada and Ngidi bent their backs, extracting disconcerting bounce from the red-soil surface. They struck twice in their opening overs to reduce the two-time champions to 43 for four.

That soon became 83 for seven by the 11th over, as the West Indian batters stuck to their mantra of ‘live or die by the sword’ without adapting to the conditions.

Romario Shepherd (52 n.o.) and Jason Holder (49) got the innings back on track through an 89-run stand to take their team to 176 for eight and give the bowlers something to defend.

Markram, however, had other ideas as he scripted his outfit’s sixth consecutive win of the competition.

The scores: West Indies 176/8 in 20 overs (Jason Holder 49, Romario Shepherd 52 n.o., Rabada 2/22, Ngidi 3/30, Bosch 2/31) lost to South Africa 177/1 in 16.1 overs (Aiden Markram 82 n.o., Quinton de Kock 47, Ryan Rickelton 45 n.o.). Toss: SA. PoM: Markram.

In a format like T20 where despair could turn into delight and vice versa in a matter of a few overs, recent form might not mean much. Yet, in high-stakes ICC tournaments, momentum can play a key role.

It is what South Africa and the West Indies, the only remaining unbeaten teams of the ongoing T20 World Cup, will look to maintain when they meet in a pivotal Super Eight Group-1 clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Thursday. Both sides are fresh off emphatic victories — the Proteas defeated India by 76 runs at this venue, while the Caribbean outfit thrashed Zimbabwe by 107 in Mumbai — and the winner of this tie could potentially seal a semifinal berth.

The Aiden Markram-led South Africa showed tenacity in its previous match, counter-punching its way out of trouble after being reduced to 20 for three. David Miller and Dewald Brevis led the recovery before Tristan Stubbs gave the final flourish. The bowlers then picked apart the Indian batting line-up with surgical precision.

The morale-boosting win and familiarity with the conditions — it will be Proteas’ fifth match at this ground in this edition — should give the 2024 edition’s runner-up the edge. At the same time, the Rainbow Nation must be wary of the two-time champion. The West Indies, led by Shai Hope, appears to be in contention for the big prize again, a scenario not many would have predicted at the start of the tournament.

Its strength lies in its batting, which packs a punch. The line-up is stacked with power-hitters, as evidenced by the fact that the West Indies leads the sixes chart (55) in the showpiece. The afternoon match will be played on a red-soil surface that offers true bounce and produces big totals. In such a case, it could play into the hands of Hope’s men.

While both teams aim to extend their winning streaks, the contest will also be keenly followed by India, as the outcome could influence the Men in Blue’s path to the last-four stage.