South Africa's T20 World Cup campaign ended in heartbreak as they lost the summit clash to India on Saturday. Here is how each player fared over the course of the tournament.

Led by Aiden Markram, South Africa had a dream run in the tournament, as they won eight matches in a row to reach their first-ever final of a senior men's ICC event (barring the 1998 ICC knockout trophy). They may have stumbled at the final hurdle, but nonetheless, it was a campaign to be proud of. These are Wisden's player ratings for South Africa at the 2024 T20 World Cup.  

Quinton de Kock: 7/10

243 runs @ 27.0, SR: 140.5

Quinton de Kock finished as South Africa's highest run-scorer in the tournament, with 243 to his name. Batting on some tough wickets in New York and St Vincent, he cashed in on the better surfaces with back-to-back fifties against USA and England. Even in the final, he looked in good touch for his 39 but would have been disappointed with the manner of his dismissal.

Reeza Hendricks: 3/10

113 runs @ 14.1, SR: 87.6

Reeza Hendricks had a poor outing with the bat, and perhaps retained his spot in the team because South Africa's wins meant they could give him a longer rope. He was lucky not to be replaced by Ryan Rickleton at any point during the World Cup, but did come up with a gritty 43 against Nepal in South Africa's final group game. Apart from that though, Hendricks was largely a passenger for the Proteas. 

 

Aiden Markram: 5/10

123 runs @ 15.4, SR: 100.8
2 wickets @ 34.5, ER: 6.90

Markram was much-lauded for his captaincy record in World Cups across age groups, and largely led his troops well on the field. With the bat, however, he found the going particularly difficult. Like Hendricks, Markram also played one innings of note — 46 (32) against USA. But also like Hendricks, overall, it was a thoroughly underwhelming performance in his primary role. His miserly off-breaks and couple of extraordinary match-winning catches get him an extra point.

Tristan Stubbs: 6.5/10

165 runs @ 33.0, SR: 101.2

Playing in his first-ever World Cup, Stubbs displayed the full range of his batting ability in this tournament. Against Sri Lanka and Netherlands, he negotiated tricky chases on tacky tracks. Against Nepal and India, he switched into power-hitting mode. On a couple of occasions, Stubbs ended up losing his wicket before finishing off the job, but the maturity and flexibility he showed through the past month bodes well for South Africa going forward.

Heinrich Klaasen: 7/10

190 runs @ 31.7, SR: 126.7

Klaasen blew hot and cold in the tournament, saving his best performance for the final. He threatened to take the game away from India before being dismissed by Hardik Pandya. His knocks of 36* (22) against USA and 22 (10) against West Indies were vital in helping the Proteas get over the line in those matches, but on the whole his campaign fell slightly short of his astronomically high standards. 

David Miller: 7/10

169 runs @ 28.2, SR: 102.4

Miller's first big knock of the tournament came against Netherlands as he took South Africa over the line with an unbeaten half-century. Generally solid throughout South Africa's campaign, Miller may well have even won his side the final, had it not been for a magnificent boundary line catch by Suryakumar Yadav. His numbers were a bit inconsistent, but that comes with the territory in a middle-order finishing role.

 

 

Marco Jansen: 5/10

32 runs @ 8.0, SR: 97.0

7 wickets @ 30.4, ER: 6.8

As the primary all-rounder in South Africa's lineup, Jansen did not get many opportunities with the bat, but did stick around to finish off a chase against West Indies in a virtual knockout game. With ball in hand, he took 3-16 against Afghanistan but a couple of expensive spells (1-49 vs India and 0-32 vs USA) turned an average performance into a slightly subpar one.

Keshav Maharaj: 8/10

11 wickets @ 15.9, ER: 6.3

Maharaj's primary contribution came when he defended 11 off the last over against Bangladesh. As the Proteas' left-arm orthodox bowler, he ensured he was difficult to score off and when the pitch offered something, became a genuine wicket-taking threat. Only in one match (the final) did his economy rate exceed seven, but he landed up with the huge wickets of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant to compensate.

Kagiso Rabada: 7/10

13 wickets @ 15.0, ER: 6.3

Rabada took a while to get going in this tournament, but remained a solid defensive bowler even when he was not picking up wickets. He pressed home the advantage in South Africa's semifinal against Afghanistan and bowled a solid spell of 3-18 against USA. One feels that South Africa would have expected just a bit more incisiveness from someone who can be a true strike bowler.

Anrich Nortje: 9/10

15 wickets @ 13.4, ER: 5.7

Nortje came into the World Cup on the back of a difficult IPL season, but promptly began with 4-7 against Sri Lanka before going on to become a consistent wicket-taker through the tournament. Nortje exceeded expectations on the wickets front, with his pace often proving to be the undoing of several batters. He bowled a solid spell in the final as well, 2-26 in an innings where India scored 176.

Ottniel Baartman: 7/10

6 wickets @ 15.7, ER: 4.9

Baartman made the South African squad off the back of his excellent SA20 season for Sunrisers Eastern Cape. He stood out with a spell of 4-11 against Netherlands, and generally kept opposition batters quiet. He played just once after the group stage, against England where he did not have his finest moment, bowling five full-tosses in a single over. Picked in the XI based on conditions, Baartman performed well relative to expectations. 

Tabraiz Shamsi: 6/10

11 wickets @ 11.6, ER: 7.6

South Africa's alternative to Baartman for slower wickets in the Super Eights and beyond was Tabraiz Shamsi. The most expensive of the Proteas' bowlers, he also ensured he was sending batters back to the pavilion regularly, with 11 wickets in just 5 matches. Shamsi's only wicketless match was the final, as India's batters took him on effectively, not gifting him any dismissals either.

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