South African cricket has done it! The Proteas FINALLY made it to their first ICC T20 World Cup final. This historic moment came on the back of a resounding nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan on Thursday morning.

The Proteas, long plagued by semifinal heartbreaks, finally exorcised their demons with a clinical performance that left Afghanistan in disarray. 

Opting to bowl first, South Africa began chipping away at the Afghanistan batsman. By the tenth over, Afghanistan found themselves reeling at 20-4, a position from which recovery seemed improbable. Bowlers Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi then joined the party, mopping up the tail to restrict Afghanistan to a measly 56, marking the lowest total ever in a men’s T20 World Cup semifinal.

Despite an early setback with Quinton de Kock’s dismissal, the Proteas secured the victory in the ninth over.

Reflecting on the momentous occasion, Aiden Markram applauded his team’s collective effort, especially the bowlers who set up the win. “One more step. It’s an exciting challenge for us and we’ve never been there before. But it’s nothing to be scared of, it’s an opportunity that we’ve never had, and we’ll be really excited about that opportunity,” said Markram. 

The Proteas will now face either India or defending champions England in the final, which will be played in Barbados this coming Saturday. 

For South African cricket enthusiasts, this victory marks a long-awaited breakthrough and a chance to rewrite the narrative of past disappointments in global tournaments. With an undefeated streak in the tournament thus far, the Proteas now stand on the cusp of greatness, poised to seize their first-ever T20 World Cup title. Let’s hope they finally shed the dreaded “chokers” tag that has haunted South African cricket for far too long.