South Africa skipper Aiden Markram continued his impressive form with the bat, smashing the fastest fifty by a Proteas in a T20 World Cup during the NZ vs SA T20 World Cup 2026 clash today (February 14). The dynamic right-hander reached the feat off just 19 balls, and in the process eclipsed a 10-year-old record held by fellow opener Quinton de Kock, when he had completed his fifty in 21 balls against England in 2016.
Markram eventually remained unbeaten on 86*(44 balls), smacking eight boundaries and four maximums, to help his side over the finish line against the Kiwis in their chase of 176. Not only today, Aiden Markram also started the ICC event with a deft 59 against Canada to help South Africa begin their campaign on a positive note.
Notably, this has been an incredible turnaround in fortunes for Aiden Markram, who went 35 innings without scoring a half-century, from October 2022 till December 2025. He finally broke the jinx during the India tour in December last year, and finished with 110 runs in four games.
Markram continued the momentum to find his peak at the right time, as he next recorded his best SA20 season (average wise), amassing 309 runs in just seven innings at an average of 44.14, comprising a ton and a fifty.
He carried the form into international cricket with a 86* against West Indies in the three-match T20I series – their final dress rehearsal before the T20 World Cup 2026 and now is doing an encore at the global event.
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Speaking about the NZ vs SA clash, Markram’s knock single-handedly secured South Africa a comprehensive win by seven wickets. Earlier, Marco Jansen registered his career best T20I figures, finishing with a spell of 4/40 from his four overs to restrict New Zealand to 175/7 in 20 overs on a good batting pitch.
With the win against the Blackcaps, the South Africa Super 8 qualification chances got a major boost as they currently secure the the top-spot in Group D standings with three wins from three matches and six points. With their qualification confirmed, South Africa will have one more group fixture left against UAE on February 18.
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