The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈

South Africa laid a real marker down for the rest of the tournament, as the 2024 runners-up beat the 2024 World Champions, India, in a game that was a re-run of the final of two years ago.

South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bat first. The decision appeared to be a doomed one as India restricted The Proteas to 20-3. Ryan Rickleton (7), Markram (4) and Quinton de Kock (6) all fell for cheap single-digit scores.

India must have been sensing an easy victory. Dewal Brevis (45 off 29 balls), David Miller (63 off 35 balls), and an unbeaten 44 from 24 balls from Tristan Stubbs saw South Africa make an imposing 187-7.

The hosts, India, got their reply to a terrible start. The in-form Ishan Kishan was dismissed without scoring. Such was the pressure that the 2024 finalists were applying to Sky’s India that the homeside slipped to 26-3.

World number one T20 batsman, who had scored three successive ducks, looked a bit more like his old self, but only managed to score 15. India would have been hoping that captain Suryakumar Yadav would have been able to lead something of a counter-attack.

But he, too, was well-shackled, as the Mumbai Indians player could only score a 22-ball 18. For such a talented batting line-up, it puts India’s disappointing batting performance into perspective.

Only one man can come out of this heavy defeat (by 76 runs) to South Africa with any credit: Shivam Dube, the left-handed batsman is having a very solid tournament and is very quickly becoming India’s Mr Dependable.