T20 World Cup 2024 Semi-final 1: Top 5 South Africa Players to Watch Against Afghanistan

The opening semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024 will be between Afghanistan and South Africa on June 26 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad. The game will commence at 8:30 PM local time. The fans are now gearing up for an ultimate face-off as Afghanistan are going to face off against South Africa in this do-or-die battle to make it into the finals so that they can fight for their maiden World Cup trophy.

South Africa has managed to book a place in the semifinals after beating the West Indies by three wickets in a nail-biting finish in their last Super Eight match. The way to this stage has been marked by consistent performances and key contributions from star players. As the Proteas get ready to face Afghanistan, there are keen eyes on what their top performers could do against a resilient Afghan side.

Here are five South Africa players to watch against Afghanistan—each bringing unique strengths, with statistics that might hold the sway of the game’s outcome.

Top 5 South Africa players to watch against Afghanistan

Here we go:

Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock has been one of the pillars of the South African batting in the course of the tournament. He has contributed 199 runs through seven matches to show his capabilities of providing good starts and anchoring the innings. De Kock’s top score of 74 and strike rate of 148.50 are pointers to his aggressive character at the top of the order. The aforementioned shall be very crucial for South Africa against the strong outfit that is Afghanistan’s bowling attack.

David Miller

David Miller has been quite the experienced hand, his crisp finishing ability standing tall for South Africa in tight situations. Scoring 148 runs across seven matches at an average of 29.60, Miller has been the terrific middle-order batsman. His unbeaten 59* stands out for its testimony to his ability to bail out his team from tricky chases. Miller’s strike rate of 100.00 might seem tepid, but the circumstances of his accelerating in the death overs make him a player Afghanistan will be wary of.

Anrich Nortje

Anrich Nortje has been that kind of standout bowler for South Africa who has repeatedly given them the breakthroughs. His pace and accuracy really troubled many batsmen with 11 wickets from seven matches. His best figures of 4/7 and an economy rate of 6.00 bespeak much about his effectiveness, more at the power play and death overs. The ability to bowl with sustained aggression will be crucial for Nortje in containing Rashid Khan’s batting lineup. He will surely be one of the South Africa players to watch against Afghanistan.

Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada has done justice to his claim of being one of the world’s premier fast bowlers in this tournament. Rabada has taken 10 wickets in seven matches, with best figures of 3/18. His economy is 6.04 and strike rate 14.40, which shows he has been good at picking up wickets while also controlling the run flow. Most certainly, his knack for striking at the right moments will be an integral part of South Africa’s bowling strategy against Afghanistan.

Keshav Maharaj

Of late, Keshav Maharaj has been a very effective spinner for South Africa, providing breakthroughs at important times while keeping the runs tight. His nine wickets in six matches include his best performance of 3/27. This performance, along with an economy rate of 6.08, proves that he is looking toward middle-over breaks in partnerships while restricting runs. In this respect, the role Maharaj would play in controlling the pace of the game and putting more pressure on the Afghanistan batters becomes very important for the success of South Africa.

As the semis come thick and fast, these five will be in charge of things and will arguably seal the fate of this highly-anticipated contest. The world shall keenly wait and watch whether South Africa can capitalize on performances by these star players and get better of the obstinate Afghanistan outfit to take another step toward claiming their first-ever World Cup crown.