Ahmedabad, Feb 26 (NationPress) Captain Aiden Markram took charge with an outstanding unbeaten score of 82 as South Africa successfully chased a challenging total of 177 runs in just 16.1 overs, losing only one wicket, to claim a nine-wicket victory over West Indies in their second match of the Super 8s stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

This triumph keeps the Proteas undefeated in the tournament and brings them closer to officially securing a spot in the semifinals. The West Indies must now face India in a must-win match on Sunday to advance to the next stage.

Earlier, former captain Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd made significant contributions to help the team recover from a rocky start, as the West Indies ended their innings at 176/8 in 20 overs.

As they began their chase against a formidable bowling attack, South Africa started strong, with both openers, Markram and De Kock, scoring 11 runs in the first over.

The South African top order was in excellent form, capitalizing on the powerplay to dominate the West Indies bowlers, reaching 69 without loss by the end of the powerplay.

West Indies finally broke through in the eighth over when Roston Chase trapped De Kock with a slower delivery. De Kock scored 47 runs off just 24 balls, hitting four boundaries and four sixes.

Despite the loss of De Kock, Markram kept up the pressure, reaching his fifty in only 27 balls and finishing the innings with an unbeaten 82, including seven fours and four sixes.

Ryan Rickleton also contributed significantly with an unbeaten 45, guiding South Africa to complete the chase with time to spare.

In the first innings, the West Indies batted first after losing the toss. Captain Shai Hope started strong, scoring 16 runs off four balls against leg spinner Keshav Maharaj. The momentum continued with Brandon King, who struck three consecutive fours off Marco Jansen.

However, the tide turned dramatically in the third over when Rabada dismissed captain Shai Hope (16) and in-form batter Shimron Hetmyer (2). Ngidi followed with two more wickets in the next over, leaving the West Indies at 52/4 by the end of the powerplay.

Things worsened for the team post-powerplay, as Corbin Bosch dismissed Sherfane Rutherford and Matthew Forde, while Ngidi sent captain Rovman Powell back to the pavilion.

After a shaky start, Holder and Shepherd formed a vital partnership of 89 runs, with Shepherd scoring his fifty in 37 balls and remaining unbeaten at 52. Holder narrowly missed out on a half-century, scoring 49 off just 31 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes.

Brief scores:

West Indies 176/8 in 20 overs (Romario Shepherd 52*, Jason Holder 49; Lungi Ngidi 3-30, Kagiso Rabada 2-22, Corbin Bosch 2-31) lost to South Africa 177/1 in 16.1 overs (Aiden Markram 82*, Quinton De Kock 47, Ryan Rickleton 45*; Roston Chase 1-46) by 9 wickets.