South Africa began their ICC Men's T20 World with a comfortable win, even though they'd have wished it to come a bit quicker but the Proteas will take those two points anyday. It was a sluggish wicket at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York and Sri Lanka surprisingly decided to bat first, maybe they had the India-Bangladesh warm-up match in mind. However, the 2014 champions were shot out for 77 with Anrich Nortje breathing fire and South Africa huffed and puffed their way to the target in 16.2 overs.
This was South Africa's first win in their opening game of the T20 World Cup in 12 years since the 2012 edition as the Proteas had lost three of their last four opening encounters with the last one being washed out in 2022 in Hobart in Australia against Zimbabwe. South Africa skipper Aiden Markram was glad at the toss that it went his way despite losing it as he wanted to bowl first and the Proteas unleashed their four-pronged pace attack at the Sri Lankan batters, who were just a bit uncertain regarding their approach.
Ottneil Baartman began his T20 World Cup journey with the wicket on the very first ball before Anrich Nortje ate and didn't leave any crumbs. It has been a difficult return for Nortje after the 8-month long injury layoff and this spell was all he and the Proteas would have wanted. Nortje was sharp, was bowling accurate lines and lengths and just didn't give Sri Lankan batters anything to work on.
Nortje got the second wicket before Keshav Maharaj took two in two including Sri Lankan captain Wanindu Hasaranga. Nortje then ran through their middle-order as Sri Lanka, with just three batters crossing double digits. Sri Lanka were ultimately shot out for 77, their lowest ever score in T20Is with Nortje taking 4/7, the best-ever figures by a South African bowler in T20 World Cup.
Chasing 78 wouldn't and shouldn't have been a task, but it was. Quinton de Kock, Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markram all struggled but got starts. Eventually it was Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller to see their team through and South Africa got those two points.
