The South Africa T20I squad is a dynamic unit featuring a blend of explosive power-hitters, crafty bowlers, and agile fielders, designed for the fast-paced nature of Twenty20 cricket. While the exact composition of the squad can vary based on upcoming series and player availability, Aiden Markram currently holds the captaincy for the T20I side.
The team benefits from a strong core of players who also feature prominently in the Test and ODI formats, such as the consistent pace of Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, the all-round capabilities of Marco Jansen, and the spin wizardry of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi. Batting prowess is often provided by aggressive players like Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, who are renowned for their boundary-hitting ability in the shortest format. Emerging talents, including those who have shone in domestic competitions like the SA20 league, are regularly integrated to provide depth and future potential. The current Head Coach for all formats, Shukri Conrad, oversees the T20I team, aiming to build a cohesive unit capable of sustained success in this highly competitive format. The Proteas’ T20I squad is consistently looking to balance experience with youthful exuberance to compete at the highest level of international Twenty20 cricket.
| PLAYER NAME | ROLE | STYLE | JERSEY NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temba Bavuma (Captain) | Batter | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right arm Medium | 11 |
| Gerald Coetzee | Bowler | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm Fast | 25 |
| Nandre Burger | Allrounder | Batter: Left-hand Bat Bowler: Left-arm Fast medium | 71 |
| David Bedingham | Batter | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm off-break | 5 |
| Neil Brand | Allrounder | Batter: Left-hand Bat Bowler: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 28 |
| Ruan de Swardt | Wicketkeeper | Batter: Left-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm Fast medium | 48 |
| Simon Harmer | Bowler | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm off-break | 11 |
| Marco Jansen | Allrounder | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Left arm Fast | 70 |
| Heinrich Klaasen | Wicketkeeper | Batter: Right hand Bat Bowler: Right arm offbreak | 45 |
| Keshav Maharaj | Bowler | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 16 |
| Aiden Markram | Batter | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right arm Offbreak | 4 |
| Wiaan Mulder | Allrounder | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right arm Medium | 13 |
| Lungi Ngidi | Bowler | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm Fast medium | 22 |
| Anrich Nortje | Bowler | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm Fast | 2 |
| Duanne Olivier | Bowler | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm Fast medium | 74 |
| Keegan Petersen | Batter | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Legbreak | 93 |
| Kagiso Rabada | Bowler | Batter: Left-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm Fast | 25 |
| Ryan Rickelton | Wicketkeeper | Batter: Left-hand Bat Bowler: – | 44 |
| Clyde Fortuin | Wicketkeeper | Batter: Right-hand Bat | 95 |
| Rassie van der Dussen | Batter | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Legbreak | 72 |
| Kyle Verreynne | Wicketkeeper | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm off-break | 97 |
| Dane Piedt | Bowler | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm off-break | 63 |
| Tristan Stubbs | Wicketkeeper | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm off-break | 30 |
| Tony de Zorzi | Batter | Batter: Left-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm off-break | 33 |
| Senuran Muthusamy | Allrounder | Batter: Left-hand Bat Bowler+: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 67 |
| Edward Moore | Batter | Batter: Left-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm off-break | |
| Tshepo Moreki | Bowler | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm Fast medium | 43 |
| Dane Paterson | Bowler | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Right-arm Fast medium | 44 |
| Raynard van Tonder | Batter | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Legbreak | 36 |
| Shaun von Berg | Allrounder | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Legbreak | |
| Zubayr Hamza | Batter | Batter: Right-hand Bat Bowler: Legbreak | 39 |
| Matthew Breetzke | Batter | Batter: Right hand Bat | 85 |
| Corbin Bosch | Allrounder | Batter: Right hand Bat Bowler: Right arm Fast medium | 14 |
| Kwena Maphaka | Bowler | Batter: Left hand Bat Bowler: Left arm Fast | 81 |
About South Africa Test Squad
Captain – Temba Bavuma
Head Coach – Shukri Conrad
Batting /Bowling Coach – Ashwell Prince, Piet Botha
Fielding Coach – Kruger van Wyk
Key Events and Recent History
ICC World Test Championship Final 2025
South Africa faced Australia in the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from June 11-15. Under Temba Bavuma’s astute captaincy, South Africa secured the coveted trophy, breaking a long-standing jinx in ICC finals.
Key Performances in the Final:
- Kagiso Rabada was instrumental, taking a fiery 5 for 51 in the first innings to help dismiss Australia for 212. He finished the match with an impressive 9 wickets, including 4 for 59 in the second innings, particularly notable given his recent return from a suspension.
- Aiden Markram played a magnificent unbeaten innings of 102 in the fourth innings, his eighth Test century and the first fourth-innings hundred by a Proteas batter at Lord’s. He, along with Temba Bavuma, forged a crucial partnership under immense pressure.
- Temba Bavuma contributed a gritty 65 runs in that pivotal partnership with Markram. This WTC triumph was South Africa’s eighth consecutive Test win under his captaincy.
- Lungi Ngidi significantly contributed in the second innings with an inspired spell of 3 for 38, which saw Australia collapse to 73 for 7.
The match was a captivating affair, with 14 wickets falling on each of the first two days on a lively Lord’s pitch. However, the narrative shifted on Day 3 as the sun emerged and the pitch eased, with Australia setting South Africa a target of 282 runs.
Records and Achievements
South Africa boasts a rich history in Test cricket with numerous team and individual records.
Overall Team Performance (as of January 2025)
The Proteas have played 472 Tests, winning 185, losing 161, and drawing 126, with a winning percentage of 39.19%.
- Highest Innings Total: 682/6d against England at Lord’s on July 31, 2003.
- Highest Successful Run Chase: 414/4 against Australia in Perth on December 17, 2008.
- Lowest Innings Total: 30 runs, achieved twice against England (in 1896 and 1924).
- Greatest Win Margins:
- By innings: Innings and 273 runs against Bangladesh (October 31, 2024).
- By runs: 492 runs against Australia (March 30, 2018).
- By 10 wickets: Achieved on 10 occasions, most recently against Pakistan (January 3, 2025).
- Narrowest Win Margins:
- By runs: 5 runs against Australia (January 2, 1994).
- By wickets: 1 wicket against England (January 2, 1906).
Famous Players
- Most Career Runs: Jacques Kallis (13,206 runs) leads, followed by Hashim Amla (9,282) and Graeme Smith (9,253). Jacques Kallis is the only South African to score over 10,000 Test runs.
- Highest Individual Score: Hashim Amla holds the record with an unbeaten 311 against England in 2012, the only triple century by a South African.
- Most Centuries: Jacques Kallis (45).
- Most Double Centuries: Graeme Smith (5).
- Most Half-Centuries: Jacques Kallis (58).
- Most Runs in a Series: Aubrey Faulkner (732 runs in the 1910-11 tour of Australia).
- Most Ducks: Kagiso Rabada is currently third with 20 ducks.
- Most Career Wickets: Dale Steyn (439 wickets), Shaun Pollock (421), and Makhaya Ntini (390) are the top three.
- Best Figures in an Innings: Hugh Tayfield (9/113 vs England in 1957) and Keshav Maharaj (9/129 vs Sri Lanka in 2018).
- Best Figures in a Match: Makhaya Ntini (13/132 vs West Indies in 2005).
- Most Five-Wicket Hauls: Dale Steyn (26).
- Most Ten-Wicket Hauls in a Match: Dale Steyn (5), followed by Kagiso Rabada and Makhaya Ntini (4 each).
- Hat-tricks: Only two South Africans have achieved a hat-trick in Tests: Geoff Griffin (1960) and Keshav Maharaj (2021).
- Most Career Dismissals: Mark Boucher holds the Test record for most dismissals by a designated wicket-keeper (553 dismissals, including 532 catches and 23 stumpings).
- Most Dismissals in a Match: AB de Villiers holds the record with 11 dismissals.
Fielding (non-wicket-keepers)
- Most Career Catches: Jacques Kallis (200).
- 1000 Runs and 100 Wickets: Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Trevor Goddard, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, and Keshav Maharaj are among those who have achieved this double.
- 250 Runs and 20 Wickets in a Series: Aubrey Faulkner, Trevor Goddard, Jacques Kallis, and Shaun Pollock have achieved this rare feat
FAQs
The South African cricket team is commonly known as the Proteas.
Leadership and Coaching
Temba Bavuma is the current captain of the South African Men’s Test and ODI teams.
Temba Bavuma is the first black African cricketer to both score a Test century for South Africa and to captain the national side.
Shukri Conrad is the Head Coach for the Proteas Men’s team.
Recent Achievements
South Africa recently won the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final, marking their first ICC tournament win in 27 years.
Key performers in the 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final included Kagiso Rabada (9 wickets in the match), Aiden Markram (102 not out in the fourth innings), Temba Bavuma (65 runs in a crucial partnership), and Lungi Ngidi (3 for 38 in an inspired second-innings spell).
Selection Philosophy
CSA’s selection process emphasizes merit for sustained international success, consistency in selection, and transformation. This includes giving preference to players of colour when selection is debatable and focusing on developing black African cricketers at all levels.
Team Records
South Africa’s highest innings total in Test cricket is 682/6d against England at Lord’s on July 31, 2003.
South Africa’s highest successful run chase in Test cricket is 414/4 against Australia in Perth on December 17, 2008.
Individual Records
The top three leading run-scorers in Test cricket for South Africa are Jacques Kallis (13,206 runs), Hashim Amla (9,282 runs), and Graeme Smith (9,253 runs).
Hashim Amla holds the record for the highest individual score in a Test innings for South Africa with an unbeaten 311 against England in 2012.
Dale Steyn is South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 439 wickets.
Mark Boucher holds the Test record for most dismissals by a designated wicket-keeper with 553 dismissals.