South Africa captain Aiden Markram led his team from the front in the recently-concluded game against New Zealand in the ongoing T20 World Cup. He smashed a 19-ball fifty as the Proteas crushed the Black Caps.

Aiden Markram, 31, looked troubled to maintain his form. As he is among the most experienced and proven talents for the team, expectations on him also remain on the higher side. To make a solid statement in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the match against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad turned into a must-win match for the Proteas.

Aiden Markram helped South Africa to overcome tough challenge leading from the front

South Africa started their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with back-to-back wins against Canada and Afghanistan, respectively. The third consecutive win will seal their spot in the round of eight. In-form batter Quinton de Kock’s early departure made the task more challenging for them.

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While Quinton de Kock went for only 20 off 14, Markram remained tall on the track. He endured only 19 balls to touch the half-century mark, chasing a target of 176. Markram remained unbeaten for 86 off 44, confirming the much-needed win over the strong New Zealand team. The right-handed batter decorated his innings with eight 4s and four 6s.

Topping the captain, the middle-order batters supported their innings with brief but effective knocks. Another experienced batter, David Miller, remained unbeaten for 24 at the end of the match. South Africa eventually won the match by 7 wickets, with 17 balls to spare. On the other side, New Zealand sustained their first defeat in the tournament.

Markram equals Rohit Sharma’s T20 World Cup record

With the 18-ball half century, Aiden Markram levels Rohit Sharma‘s record in the T20 World Cup as a captain. Sharma also needed 19 balls to complete his half-century. During the 2024 T20 World Cup, Rohit faced only 19 balls to secure a half-century in the tournament against Australia at Gros Islet on June 24.

Two years later, in the ongoing T20 WC, so far two batters equal ‘Hitman’s record for smashing the fastest fifty in the history of the tournament. Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanak also did the same against Oman on February 12, 2026. Within a couple of days, South Africa’s Aiden Markram also joined the elite list. In the effort, he surpassed some of the legends like Mohammad Ashraful and Mahela Jayawardane, who also smashed blistering half-centuries in the T20 World Cup as skippers for the respective national team’s.

List of fastest half-century scored by a captain in the history of T20 World Cup

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