Captain cool Aiden Markram turned scorching hot on Monday, hammering 59 runs from 32 balls inclusive of 11 boundaries to guide South Africa to 213/4 against Canada in T20 World Cup 2026’s 9th encounter at Ahmedabad. The knock was his fourth half-century in the tournament, tying him with teammate Quinton de Kock for second place among South Africans, trailing the legendary AB de Villiers by one.
Forced to bat first, South Africa erupted in the powerplay with Markram-de Kock’s 66 – a feat matched only once before against Afghanistan in 2016. De Kock made 25 before Rickelton joined Markram for 56 runs. A mid-innings wobble to 138/4 was masterfully countered by an unbroken 75-run blast from Stubbs (34* off 19, 4×4) and Miller (39* off 23, 3×6, 1×4).
Canada’s bowlers, led by Ans Patel’s three strikes, struggled to contain the onslaught. Markram’s milestone performance not only boosted morale but highlighted South Africa’s batting evolution, positioning them strongly in the qualifiers with eyes on the main draw.