Ever since their readmission into international cricket, South Africa have been a force to reckon with. They have had talent, the personnel, the fiercest fast bowlers, the best fielders, the most complete batters, but South Africa are yet to win a single ICC trophy (barring the Under-19 World Cup trophy in 2014). They have come close, a number of times, but lost at crunch stages.
The South Africa cricket team is also known as Proteas. South Africa first entered international cricket in the 1888-89 season against England and were the third country to ever play international cricket. They started slowly but became a force to reckon with in international cricket, regularly facing Australia and England. But, in the 1960s, there was considerable opposition to its apartheid policy and the South Africa cricket board was banned from playing international cricket. When South Africa finally returned to cricket in 1991, they quickly got back on their feet and have been a powerful team since.
They played their first Test match in 1889 against England which they lost quite badly. Their first win was recorded in 1906 against England in Johannesburg. South Africa played their first ODI against India in Kolkata in 1991 while their T20I debut came at home against New Zealand in 2005.
South Africa have reached five ODI World Cup and three T20 World Cup semi-finals, but are yet to win either title.
Captain: Temba Bavuma (Tests, ODIs), Aiden Markram (T20Is)
Coaches: Shukri Conrad (Tests), Ashwell Prince (Test batting coach), Piet Botha (Test bowling coach), Rob Walter (white-ball coach), JP Duminy (white-ball batting coach), Eric Simons (white-ball bowling coach)
First Test match: 1889
First ODI: 1991
First T20I: 2005
Cricket board: Cricket South Africa (CSA)
ICC titles: 1 (U-19 World Cup)
South Africa in T20 International cricket
| Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Winning% |
| 185 | 104 | 77 | 1 | 3 | 56.2 |
South Africa have in all played 185 T20I games in their history. They have won 104 games, lost 77 while one match ended in a tie which was later settled via a Super Over. Three of their games have been washed out due to rain.
South Africa played their first T20I game against New Zealand in 2005, a game they lost by five wickets. Then they lost their second game as well to Australia in January 2006 before finally registering their first win in the format in their third attempt against Australia. Going into the 2007 T20 World Cup at home, they were one of the more stronger teams, but failed to make it to the semi-final of the competition. Overall, South Africa have mostly dominated teams in T20I cricket, whether they have played at home or away.
South Africa have played India the most times in T20Is, but their best record is against Bangladesh who are yet to beat them in nine attempts. They also have a stellar record against New Zealand: 11 wins in 15 T20Is and just four losses. Their poorest record is against Australia. South Africa have faced them 25 times in T20Is, lost 17 games and won just eight.
South Africa’s record against other countries (minimum 9 T20Is)
| Opponent | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R |
| India | 27 | 11 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| England | 26 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| Australia | 25 | 8 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| West Indies | 23 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 15 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Africa in T20 World Cups
Most runs: AB de Villiers (717 runs)
Most wickets: Anrich Nortje (35)
Highest score: Rilee Rossouw (109)
Captains: Graeme Smith, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers
South Africa have entered every T20 World Cup with the hopes of winning it. They have come close a few times, but have fallen short each time. They hosted the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007, but failed to make it to the semi-final. Since then they have appeared in all nine editions of the tournament, Despite having a terrific all-round, the only edition in which South Africa made it to the final was in 2024. They went through the league stage and the semi-final unscathed and seemed like winning the final as well. But, at the last hurdle they fell short against India by a mere seven runs.
South Africa have played 49 matches at the T20 World Cup where they have won 32 and lost 16 matches, with one match getting washed out. In the nine editions, South Africa have made it to the semi-finals three times, but have made it to the final just once. All the other times, they have had to suffer group stage exits.
South Africa’s record in T20 World Cups (2007 to 2024)
| T20 World Cup | Hosts | South Africa’s finish | Winners | Highest Scorer | Most Wickets |
| 2007 | South Africa | Group Stage exit | India | Justin Kemp | Morne Morkel |
| 2009 | England | Semi-final exit | Pakistan | Jacques Kallis | Roelof van der Merwe |
| 2010 | West Indies | Group stage exit | England | Jacques Kallis | Charl Langeveldt |
| 2012 | Sri Lanka | Group stage exit | West Indies | JP Duminy | Jacques Kallis |
| 2014 | Bangladesh | Semi-final exit | Sri Lanka | JP Duminy | Imran Tahir |
| 2016 | India | Group stage exit | West Indies | Quinton de Kock | Kyle Abbott |
| 2021 | UAE | Group stage exit | Australia | Rassie van der Dussen | Dwaine Pretorius |
| 2022 | Australia | Group stage exit | England | Rilee Rossouw | Anrich Nortje |
| 2024 | USA and West Indies | Runners-up | India | Quinton de Kock | Anrich Nortje |
T20 World Cup 2007 – Group stage exit
It is rare that a team wins four out of five matches in the group stage but still fails to qualify for the semi-final. But such was South Africa’s fate in the inaugural edition of the 2007 T20 World Cup which they hosted. They started the tournament with a bang against West Indies routing them by eight wickets in Johannesburg. Then they brushed aside Bangladesh by seven wickets before comfortably beating England by 19 runs. Another six-wicket against New Zealand followed, but South Africa faltered when it mattered the most. They need to beat India by a certain margin to keep their NRR ahead. That didn’t happen. South Africa lost by 37 runs, which meant India and New Zealand advanced to the next round from Group E.
T20 World Cup 2009 – Semi-final exit
South Africa went one better in the next T20 World Cup held in England in 2009. They began the World Cup with a huge 130-run win over Scotland. It was a win that boosted their NRR manifold. A nervy one-run win against New Zealand followed before they comfortably beat England, West Indies and India to storm into the semi-finals unscathed. But, in the semis, they met Pakistan. Batting first, Pakistan scored 149 for 4. South Africa were in the game for the longest time, but eventually fell short by seven runs to bow out of the tournament without much fanfare.
T20 World Cup 2010 – Group stage exit
It was the same old story when South Africa made their way to the West Indies for the 2010 edition of the T20 World Cup. They began with a crushing 14-run loss against India in Gros Islet but went on to thrash Afghanistan by 59 runs. A win against New Zealand followed but back to back losses against England and Pakistan signaled the end of the T20 World Cup for South Africa.
T20 World Cup 2012 – Group stage exit
Much was expected of South Africa when they landed in Sri Lanka for the 2012 T20 World Cup. They began with a bang but ended the tournament with a whimper with shades of brilliance in the middle. South Africa began the tournament with a 10-wicket thrashing of Zimbabwe in Hambantota. They then beat hosts Sri Lanka in a rain-curtailed affair before losing to Pakistan by a narrow two-wicket margin. South Africa then lost to Australia and India and that meant they failed to make it to the semi-final of a T20 World Cup for the second straight time.
T20 World Cup 2014 – Group stage exit
A much better result for South Africa in 2014 as they made their way to Bangladesh. A win over Sri Lanka meant the tournament began on the right note for South Africa. They then beat New Zealand by two runs, Netherlands by six runs before going on to beat England by three runs to make it to the semi-final unbeaten. However, their joy was soon going to turn into sadness. In the semis, South Africa came up against India and Virat Kohli. Batting first South Africa scored a more than decent 172 for 4. But a Kohli masterclass denied them a win and their tournament ended in the semis.
T20 World Cup 2016 – Group stage exit
The highs of 2014 turned into lows once again when South Africa came to India in 2016 for the T20 World Cup. In Group 1 of the points table, they suffered a two-wicket loss at the hands of England in their opening game. Two days later they brushed aside Afghanistan but a loss against West Indies dented their chances big time. And despite a big win over Sri Lanka, South Africa failed to make it to the semi-final of the 2016 T20 World Cup.
T20 World Cup 2021 – Group stage exit
The T20 World Cup happened in the UAE in 2021 after a gap of five years but South Africa’s luck didn’t change much. This despite them winning four in five group games. Sometimes that one loss comes back to haunt the teams and that is exactly what happened to South Africa. They met Australia in the first game of the tournament and lost by five wickets. Then they bounced back with wins over West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and England. But, because a lot of the wins weren’t big enough, South Africa lost on net run rate and failed to make it to the semi-final of the tournament for the second edition running.
T20 World Cup 2022 – Group stage exit
A lot was expected from South Africa when they went to Australia for the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup because the pitches were expected to be to their liking. But, South Africa failed to leave much of a mark for the third straight edition. A lot of it was down to their own fallacies, though. South Africa’s opening game of the tournament against Zimbabwe was rained out. They then won two big games against Bangladesh and India but lost to Pakistan via DLS method. Despite that all they needed to do to make the semi-finals was a win over Netherlands. Easy enough, yeah? Nope, Netherlands came out fighting to post 158 for 4 in their first innings. In reply, all South Africa could manage was 145 for 8 as they made a shock exit from the tournament much to the dismay of their fans.
T20 World Cup 2024 – Runners-up
South Africa’s best performance in a T20 World Cup to date but also one that they will want to erase from their memories soon enough. It started in grand fashion but ended in a heartbreak few could imagine. As the tournament moved to the USA and West Indies, South Africa brought out their A-game. They began the tournament with solid wins over Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Bangladesh and Nepal. That helped them qualify for the Super Eights without much trouble. Again, they posted confident wins over USA, England and West Indies to storm into the semi-finals without breaking much of a sweat. In the semis, South Africa came up against Afghanistan and absolutely obliterated them.
Then they played the final for the first time in history against mighty India. Batting first, India posted a strong 176 for 7. South Africa started brilliantly with Heinrich Klassen and Quinton de Kock taking them to the doorstep of a win. At one point, South Africa needed just 30 off 30 with seven wickets in hand. But then a collapse happened, and they fell short by seven runs much to the shock of the fans.
What to expect from South Africa
When it comes to T20 World Cups and T20Is in general, South Africa have not been the most consistent sides. They have always had the talent and skills backed by the personnel. But that coveted trophy is still missing from their cabinet. They came mighty close in 2024 and will dearly hope when they come to India in 2026, South Africa finally break their final hoodoo and take home the trophy.
