The South Africa national cricket team is one of the full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of cricket. South Africa played their first ever T20I match against New Zealand, they also hosted the inaugural T20 World Cup (then called World Twenty20) in 2007. There have been nine editions of the T20 World Cup and the team has participated in every edition.
They are yet to win a title although they came close after reaching the final in 2024, but ended up being runners-up after losing to India national cricket team., South Africa have also been semi-finalists in two editions (2009, 2014). They have an overall win–loss record of 32–16 from 49 matches.
Five different captains have led the team across nine editions of tournament, with Graeme Smith having led the team in the first three editions. Faf du Plessis and Temba Bavuma have captained South Africa in two editions while Aiden Markram and AB de Villiers have been skippers for one edition each.
AB de Villers is the leading run scorer for South Africa with 717 runs in 30 matches, while Anrich Nortje is the highest wicket taker for the team with 35 wickets in 19 matches.
T20 World Cup record +Key Champions Runners-up Semi-finals Host
YearRoundPositionCaptain 2007Super 85/125410000 2009Semi-final3/126510000 2010Super 86/125230000 20128/125230200 2014Semi-final4/165320000 2016Super 105/164220000 2021Super 125/165410000 2022Super 126/165220010 2024Runners-up2/20 9810000 2026QualifiedTotal0 titles9/94932160010
Record by opponents Opponent M W L T+W T+L NR Ab Win % First played 4 3 0 1 0 0 0 100 2010 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0.00 2012 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 100 2007 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 2026 7 5 2 0 0 0 0 71.43 2007 8 3 5 0 0 0 0 37.50 2007 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 2024 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 66.67 2014 6 5 1 0 0 0 0 83.33 2007 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0.00 2009 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 2009 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 80.00 2012 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 2026 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 2024 6 5 1 0 0 0 0 83.33 2007 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 66.67 2012Total 5738 17 101066.67 -Source: Last Updated: 05 March 2026
Tournament results
South Africa 2007
Squad
Graeme Smith (c) Mark Boucher (wk) AB de Villiers (wk) Shaun Pollock Makhaya Ntini Andre Nel Thandi Tshabalala Morne Morkel Albie Morkel Justin Kemp Johan van der Wath Vernon Philander Herschelle Gibbs JP Duminy Gulam Bodi
Results Group stage (Group A)Super 8s (Group E)SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResult RankOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultW by 8 wicketsW by 7 wickets1W by 19 runsW by 6 wicketsL by 37 runs3Did not advanceSuper 8sSource: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
England 2009
Squad
Graeme Smith (c) Mark Boucher (wk) AB de Villiers (wk) Herschelle Gibbs Johan Botha JP Duminy Jacques Kallis Albie Morkel Justin Ontong Roelof van der Merwe Yusuf Abdulla Morne Morkel Wayne Parnell Robin Peterson Dale Steyn
Results Group stage (Group D)Super 8s (Group E)SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResult RankOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResult RankOppositionResultOppositionResultW by 130 runsW by 1 run1W by 7 wicketsW by 20 runsW by 12 runs1L by 7 runsDid not advanceSemi finalsSource: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
West Indies 2010
Squad
Graeme Smith (c) Jacques Kallis Loots Bosman Johan Botha Mark Boucher (wk) AB de Villiers (wk) JP Duminy Herschelle Gibbs Charl Langeveldt Rory Kleinveldt Albie Morkel Morne Morkel Dale Steyn Rusty Theron Roelof van der Merwe
Results Group stage (Group C)Super 8s (Group E)SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResult RankOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultL by 14 runsW by 59 runs2W by 13 runsL by 39 runsL by 11 runs4Did not advanceSuper 8sSource: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
Sri Lanka 2012
Squad
AB de Villiers (c, wk) Hashim Amla (vc) Faf du Plessis Richard Levi JP Duminy Jacques Kallis Albie Morkel Justin Ontong Farhaan Behardien Johan Botha Morne Morkel Wayne Parnell Robin Peterson Dale Steyn Lonwabo Tsotsobe
Results Group stage (Group C)Super 8s (Group F)SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResult RankOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultW by 10 wicketsW by 32 runs2Lby 2 wicketsL by 8 wicketsL by 1 run4Did not advanceSuper 8sSource: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
Bangladesh 2014
Squad
Faf du Plessis (c) Hashim Amla AB de Villiers (wk) Quinton de Kock (wk) David Miller JP Duminy Albie Morkel Farhaan Behardien Imran Tahir Wayne Parnell Dale Steyn Lonwabo Tsotsobe Aaron Phangiso Morne Morkel Beuran Hendricks
Results Super 10 (Group 1)SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultL by 5 runsW by 2 runsW by 6 runsW by 3 runs2L by 6 wicketsDid not advanceSemi finalsSource: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
India 2016
Squad
Faf du Plessis (c) Hashim Amla AB de Villiers (wk) Quinton de Kock (wk) David Miller JP Duminy Farhaan Behardien Chris Morris David Wiese Imran Tahir Aaron Phangiso Kyle Abbott Kagiso Rabada Dale Steyn Rilee Rossouw
Results Super 10 (Group 2)SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultL by 2 wicketsW by 37 runsL by 3 wicketsW by 8 wickets3Did not advanceSuper 10Source: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
Oman & UAE 2021
Squad and kit Temba Bavuma (c) Quinton de Kock (wk) Reeza Hendricks Heinrich Klaasen (wk) David Miller Rassie van der Dussen Aiden Markram Wiaan Mulder Dwaine Pretorius Bjorn Fortuin Keshav Maharaj Lungi Ngidi Anrich Nortje Kagiso Rabada Tabraiz Shamsi
Results Super 12 (Group 1)SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultL by 5 wicketsW by 8 wicketsW by 4 wicketsW by 6 wicketsW by 10 runs3Did not advanceSuper 12Source: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
Australia 2022
Squad and kit Temba Bavuma (c) Quinton de Kock (wk) Reeza Hendricks Heinrich Klaasen (wk) David Miller Aiden Markram Rilee Rossouw Marco Jansen Wayne Parnell Keshav Maharaj Lungi Ngidi Anrich Nortje Kagiso Rabada Tabraiz Shamsi Tristan Stubbs
Results Super 12 (Group 2)SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultNo resultW by 104 runsW by 5 wicketsL by 33 runs (DLS)L by 13 runs3Did not advanceSuper 12Source: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
United States & West Indies 2024
Squad and kit Aiden Markram (c) Ottniel Baartman Gerald Coetzee Quinton de Kock (wk) Bjorn Fortuin Reeza Hendricks Marco Jansen Heinrich Klaasen (wk) Keshav Maharaj David Miller Anrich Nortje Kagiso Rabada Ryan Rickelton (wk) Tabraiz Shamsi Tristan Stubbs
Results Group stage (Group D)Super 8 (Group 2)SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultW by 6 wicketsW by 4 wicketsW by 4 runsW by 1 run1W by 18 runsW by 7 runsW by 3 wickets (DLS)1W by 9 wicketsL by 7 runsRunners-upSource: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
India & Sri Lanka 2026
Squad and kit Aiden Markram (c) David Miller Quinton de Kock (wk) Keshav Maharaj Dewald Brevis Anrich Nortje Lungi Ngidi Kagiso Rabada George Linde Tristan Stubbs (wk) Corbin Bosch Ryan Rickelton Jason Smith Marco Jansen Kwena Maphaka
Note: Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton replaced Tony de Zorzi and Donovan Ferreira
Results Group stage (Group D)Super 8SemifinalFinalOverall ResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultW by 57 runsTied (W the 2nd S/O)W by 7 wickets W by 6 wickets 122 Feb 26 Feb1 MarchTBDTo be decided–Source: ESPNcricinfo Scorecards
Records and statistics
Team records Highest innings totals Score Opponent Venue Season 229/4 (20 overs) Mumbai 2016 211/5 (20 overs) The Oval 2009 209/5 (20 overs) Mumbai 2016 208/2 (17.4 overs) Johannesburg 2007 205/5 (20 overs) Sydney 2022Last updated: 29 June 2024
Most appearances This list consists players with most number of matches at the T20 World Cup. Matches Player Period 35 Quinton de Kock2014-2026 34 David Miller2014-202630 AB de Villiers 2007-2016 29 Kagiso Rabada2016-202627 Aiden Markram 2021-2026Last updated: 04 March 2026
Batting statistics Most runs Runs Player 100s 50s Period 717 AB de Villiers 30 29 79* 29.87 5 2007–2016 653 Quinton de Kock 27 27 74 25.11 4 2014–2024 568 JP Duminy 25 23 86* 40.57 2 2007–2016 433 Jacques Kallis 15 13 73 36.08 3 2009–2012 423 David Miller 27 22 59* 30.21 2 2014–2024Last updated: 29 June 2024
Highest partnerships Runs Players Opposition Venue Season 168 (2nd wicket) Rilee Rossouw (96) & Quinton de Kock (63) v Sydney 2022 120* (3rd wicket) Justin Kemp (46*) & Herschelle Gibbs (63*) v Johannesburg 2007 110 (2nd wicket) Quinton de Kock (70) & Aiden Markram (36) v North Sound 2024 103* (3rd wicket) Rassie van der Dussen (49) & Aiden Markram (52) v Sharjah 2021 97 (2nd wicket) Graeme Smith (36) & Jacques Kallis (59) v Gros Islet 2010Last updated: 29 June 2024
Bowling statistics Most wickets Wickets Player Matches 4W 5W Period 35 Anrich Nortje 19 11.40 5.55 4/7 3 0 2021–2024 30 Dale Steyn 23 19.30 6.96 4/17 1 0 2009–2016 28 Kagiso Rabada 22 22.35 8.06 3/18 0 0 2016–2024 24 Morne Morkel 17 18.83 7.21 4/17 2 0 2007–2014 23 Tabraiz Shamsi 12 13.26 6.95 4/19 1 0 2021–2024Last updated: 29 June 2024
References
External links