Aiden Markram Archives

Confident Markram banks on Test success for T20 World Cup

South Africa skipper Aiden Markram on Sunday said his team enters the T20 World Cup with confidence and self-belief boosted by their World Test Championship triumph last year.

Runners-up in 2024, South Africa begin their campaign in the 20-team tournament against Canada at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.

The Proteas in June 2025 beat Australia in the World Test Championship final to win their first major International Cricket Council trophy and shrug off their “chokers” tag.

Pace bowler Kagiso Rabada had recently spoken about the change in public perception about South Africa’s presence in global tournaments and Markram said he thinks the same.

“I think KG is a lot more involved in social media. I’m pretty useless on my phone,” Markram told reporters.

“But it does feel that way — the belief, confidence, monkey off the back and all those things play a role in the language and behaviour within the camp.

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“It definitely helps. But having said that, you don’t come here thinking it’s suddenly going to be easy. We still have to be at our best. The WTC trophy definitely gave us belief and confidence within the group.”

South Africa agonisingly lost the 2024 T20 World Cup final to India when needing 30 off the last 30 balls only to fall short by seven runs.

They are clubbed with New Zealand, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates and Canada in Group D.

Markram admits playing an associate nation could be tricky in a format where upsets are inevitable.

“The gap between Associate nations and the other countries has become much smaller,” said Markram.

“In this format, it just takes one or two players having a really good day for an upset to happen. Even at the start of this World Cup, we’ve seen some close games that could have gone either way.”

In Group A on the opening day, Pakistan survived a scare against the Netherlands and defending champions India were reduced to 77-6 before they triumphed over the United States.

READ: T20 World Cup: Theekshana, Hasaranga star as Sri Lanka beat Ireland

Markram pips Virat, Gaikwad tons in record South Africa chase

Opener Aiden Markram hit a sparkling century to help South Africa chase down 359 for a series-levelling win over India in the second one-day international on Wednesday.

Virat Kohli’s second successive century went in vain after South Africa achieved the target with four balls and four wickets to spare in Raipur.

Number eight Corbin Bosch hit the winning boundary in his unbeaten 29 and let out a roar with the three-match series level at 1-1 and the decider on Saturday in Visakhapatnam.

Virat Kohli, who made 102 for his 53rd hundred in the ODI format, put on 195 runs for the third wicket with Ruturaj Gaikwad, who hit 105, as India posted 358-5.

In reply, Markram made 110 and put on 101 runs for the second wicket with captain Temba Bavuma (46) to lay the foundations for the joint-highest target chased down against India. Australia chased down 359 in 2019 in Mohali.

Markram, who survived a dropped catch on 53 by Yashasvi Jaiswal in the deep, lost partner Bavuma in the 21st over but kept firm to raise his fourth ODI ton in 88 balls.

Pace bowler Harshit Rana dismissed Markram on a slower ball to raise the noise of the 60,000-capacity packed stadium.

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Dewald Brevis, who hit 54 off 34 balls, joined Matthew Breetzke, who made 68, and the two kept the chase on track in their fourth-wicket partnership of 92.

Brevis reached his maiden ODI fifty with a six off Kuldeep Yadav, but the left-arm wrist spinner had his revenge next ball to get the batter caught out at long-on.

Breetzke was next to go after Krishna trapped him lbw, and Arshdeep Singh dismissed Marco Jansen (2) in the next over.

There was more drama when Tony de Zorzi retired hurt on 17, clutching his hamstring in pain after taking a run with Bosch, who then kept calm to take the team over the line alongside Keshav Maharaj (10 not out).

Earlier, Kohli was on fire, taking on the opposition bowlers after India lost Rohit Sharma for 14. The in-form batter began his scoring with a six off pace bowler Lungi Ngidi.

Jaiswal fell for 22 after he handed India a brisk start, but Kohli and Gaikwad steadied the innings and then took the attack to the opposition.

Both looked fluent as they struck regular boundaries, and Gaikwad reached his maiden ODI ton with a boundary.

Gaikwad departed, but Kohli went on to register his 84th century across the three international formats as fans stood up to applaud.

Kohli finally fell to Ngidi and walked back to a standing ovation before skipper KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 66.

The 37-year-old Kohli only plays the 50-over format these days after he and fellow stalwart Rohit, 38, retired from T20 and Test cricket.

READ: India pacer announces retirement from international cricket

Aiden Markram braces for ‘more spin’ challenge in Rawalpindi Test

RAWALPINDI: South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram expressed confidence in his side’s ability to counter the spin challenge and bounce back against Pakistan in the second Test, scheduled to be played tomorrow at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Markram lavished praise on Keshav Maharaj, who is set to return after missing out on the first Test in Lahore.

“Kesh is available, that’s why he’s here. It’s great to have him back in the camp — he brings lots of experience and a really good skill set as well,” he told reporters in the pre-match presser.

“For us, it’s very important to try and level the series, and we’re looking forward to this game starting tomorrow,” he continued.

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South Africa were outplayed by spin from Pakistan in the first Test played at the Gaddafi Stadium. Noman Ali starred in the match with a ten-wicket haul, troubling the Proteas batter with his magical spin bowling.

Markram admitted that he is ready to face more spin, and they have plans to counter the threat posed by the home side spinners.

“We’re expecting more spin; the wicket looks pretty good to the eye, but we’ve expected these types of conditions from day one. It’s about us having done some homework post that first game and coming up with new plans to hopefully counter that,” he explained.

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Regarding his batting, the South Africa skipper emphasized net practice and stated that he is in good shape to score vital runs for his team.

“I’ve been feeling good, spending time in the nets trying to come up with ideas that suit my game in these conditions. I feel like I’m mentally in a really good space and very hungry to contribute and lead from the front.”

The 31-year-old remained confident in his side’s chances to avoid a 2-0 clean sweep.

“When you get to spinning conditions, the guessing game is always how long till it really starts to spin exaggeratedly, so we’ll have to assess that as quickly as we can.

We know how this game works — it doesn’t always come off — but I’ll always live and die with my heart on my sleeve and give it a good fight.,” Aiden Markram concluded.

READ: Marsh, bowlers power Australia to win in rain-hit ODI opener

Aiden Markram achieves major milestone in first Pakistan Test

LAHORE: South Africa’s stand-in captain Aiden Markram reached a major career milestone on Monday, surpassing 3,000 runs in Test cricket during the opening Test against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Markram, who needed just seven runs to achieve the landmark, brought it up early in his innings as South Africa began their reply to Pakistan’s first-innings total of 378.

The 31-year-old reached the milestone in his 47th Test appearance, becoming the 18th South African batter to do so.

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Since making his debut in 2017, Markram has been one of South Africa’s most consistent performers in red-ball cricket, boasting eight centuries and 13 half-centuries to his name.

Among South African greats, Jacques Kallis remains the country’s all-time leading run-scorer with a staggering 13,206 runs in 165 Tests, the only South African to cross the 10,000-run mark.

He is followed by Hashim Amla (9,282 runs in 124 matches) and former skipper Graeme Smith (9,253 runs in 116 matches).

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At the time of filing this report, South Africa were 38 without loss in ten overs, with Markram and Ryan Rickelton steady at the crease.

The visitors trail by 340 runs after bowling out Pakistan for 378 earlier in the day, courtesy of a superb six-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy.

READ: Kane Williamson to miss England T20Is, eyes ODI return

Aiden Markram sets sights on Babar Azam’s prized wicket

LAHORE: South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram has heaped high praise on Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam, admitting that they will be targeting his key wicket in the series.

South Africa’s stand-in skipper Aiden Markram has lavished praise on Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam, admitting that his will be one of the key wickets they’ll be targeting in the series.

Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Markram shed light on the team’s preparations and Pakistan’s spin challenge, including Babar’s wicket.

“He needs no introduction. Babar’s wicket will be a big one for us, and one of the bowlers will try to get him and work out,” he remarked.

Markram expressed his excitement about the upcoming spin challenge, stating that despite not being heavily exposed to conditions, they are ready to take on the hosts.

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“Naturally, we’re looking forward to the challenges Pakistan will pose in terms of spin-friendly tracks, as we assume.”

“As a team not heavily exposed to these conditions, it’s going to be exciting and a great opportunity for us to get things right here. So we’re putting a lot of focus into that, and ultimately we want to string together five good days of cricket in the first Test,” he continued.

The 31-year-old mentioned that the England series against Pakistan last year and admitted that Pakistan will fully capitalize on home advantage.

“We expect the conditions to spin — we saw how things turned in the England series. Pakistan will obviously try to win, which is completely fair, and we look forward to that challenge.

We’ll have another look at the wicket today and hopefully get a clearer picture before finalising everything for tomorrow,” Markram remarked.

World Test Champions South Africa will be without their regular captain, Temba Bavuma, who was ruled out of the tour due to an injury. However, Aiden Markram lamented his absence and aimed to give their best in challenging circumstances.

“Of course, we’ll miss Temba a lot — he’s our leader, and there’s no need to even introduce him,” he said of Bavuma.

Pakistan and South Africa will face off in the first tomorrow at the Gaddafi Stadium, marking the start of both teams’ campaign in the World Test Championship (WTC). 2025-27 cycle.

READ: WATCH: Pakistan, South Africa series trophy unveiled

Markram picks THIS batter as game-changer against spin-slaught on Pakistan tour

South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram has backed Dewald Brevis as a game-changer on spin-friendly pitches during the Pakistan tour.

Speaking ahead of the team’s departure, Markram pointed out Brevis’ aggressive gameplay and stated that he could change the course of the game in quick time.

Proteas will be without their ace batter, Temba Bavuma, for the first tour of Pakistan since 202`1. Bavuma suffered a calf strain and was eventually ruled out of the tour.

“He’d definitely be an option, especially with the way he plays spin,” Markram said of Brevis.

Dewald Brevis has played two Tests so far and has already caught the eye with his power hitting in T20I cricket.

“If the conditions are going to be exaggerated, he can quickly change the momentum of the game, doing what he does and playing the way he does. He’ll be a definite consideration, ” he remarked.

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Regarding extreme spin conditions, he emphasized home advantage and deemed the exaggerated pitches as challenging for both teams.

“If it’s your home game, you can pretty much prepare whatever wicket you’d like to prepare. That’s how I see it. Ultimately, if it’s going to be extreme like it was in the English series, then it’s going to be difficult for both teams from a batting point of view.

For us as a squad, we’ve just got to be happy with what we have, whatever the conditions look like, and to back whoever it is on the day to get the job done. So I’m not too fussed by it,” he continued.

South Africa have also picked a spin-heavy squad with an ample variety in their lineups. Notably, Simon Harmer is vastly experienced and has 987 first-class scalps along with 39 in Test cricket.

“They’re all quite different. If you look at the two off-spinners to start with, Simon and Subs [Prenelan Subrayen], especially having faced them now, where it is spinning, it’s two completely different challenges they throw at you. That’s something great to have as a squad,”

“You don’t really want similar types of spinners. They are each quite different, different paces, different types of spin in terms of side spin and overspin and stuff like that, which reacts differently off the wickets. They’ll play a massive role for us there if what we’re expecting is going to be the case,” he concluded.

The first Test will begin on October 12 at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

South Africa squad for Pakistan Tests

Aiden Markram (capt), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj (second Test only), Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne

READ: Clinical South Africa outplay New Zealand in Women’s World Cup clash

Aiden Markram named ICC Men’s Player of the Month for June 2025

DUBAI: South Africa’s top-order batter Aiden Markram has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for June 2025, following his stellar performance in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia at Lord’s.

Markram edged out his compatriot Kagiso Rabada and Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka to win the coveted award.

The 30-year-old South African played a crucial role in helping his team break the 27-year ICC title drought. He scored an impressive 136 runs in the fourth innings and took two key wickets, securing a historic victory.

“It is a privilege to receive this award. To contribute to an ICC World Test Championship win for our team and South Africa is something that means a lot to me,” Aiden Markram said upon winning the award.

“Winning the final at Lord’s is a historic moment for South African cricket, and it is something we will all remember forever.

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“This victory was only possible due to the combined efforts of the entire team, with crucial contributions from KG (Kagiso Rabada) and Tembs (Temba Bavuma).”

During the first innings of Australia, Aiden Markram was called upon by his captain to break the crucial partnership between Steve Smith and Beau Webster.

He did not disappoint and responded with the wicket on his sixth delivery, sending Smith back to the pavilion.

He struggled in his first innings, getting out for a duck to an in-form Mitchell Starc.

However, he redeemed himself by scoring a match-defining century in the second innings while chasing a challenging target of 282 runs.

Markram showcased calmness and control during his 136-run knock, forming crucial partnerships with Wiaan Mulder and captain Temba Bavuma.

READ: Haseebullah Khan clears the air on reported move to England

ICC unveils nominees for Men’s player of the month award for June

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced the nominees for the Men’s Player of the Month award for June 2025, featuring South Africa’s Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada, alongside Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka.

South African opener Aiden Markram was included in the list after playing a vital role in the Proteas’ maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title.

Markram demonstrated his all-round ability in the match, first with the ball and then with the willow. He broke a crucial 79-run stand between Steve Smith and Beau Webster in the first innings.

Aiden Markram removed the well-set Smith (66) on the sixth ball of his first over just at the stroke of lunch. Moreover, he also broke Australia’s last-wicket 59-run stand between Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in their second attempt, which gave them a healthy lead of 74 runs.

After getting out on duck in the first innings, Aiden Markram came back with a match-winning 136-run knock while chasing a challenging 282-run target, hence ending South Africa’s 27-year wait for an ICC trophy.

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Kagiso Rabada spearheaded South Africa’s pace attack in the WTC final, taking a fiery five-wicket haul in the first innings to rattle Australia for a meager total of 212.

South Africa were bowled out for 138 in their first essay, but Kagiso Rabada stood tall again, not letting the defending champions post an imposing total. The 30-year-old turned the match on its head after removing Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in a short period.

The right-arm pacer took nine wickets in the match, which moved him to fourth position among South Africa’s all-time Test wicket-takers with 336 scalps to his name.

Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka featured in the list based on his stellar performances in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh.

Nissanka started Sri Lanka’s WTC cycle with a career-best in the series opener. He scored a monumental 187 runs with the aid of 24 boundaries and a six, helping his team reach closer to Bangladesh’s mammoth 495-run total.

After Sri Lanka bowled out Bangladesh for 247 in the second Test, the right-handed batter was equally impressive, scoring 158 runs on a turning pitch, which helped the Islanders secure a decisive 211-run lead.

Pathum Nissanka’s heroics eventually helped Sri Lanka clinch the series 1-0 as they defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 78 runs.

READ: Wiaan Mulder breaks Hashim Amla’s record with historic triple century

Aiden Markram’s 136 steers South Africa to historic victory in WTC Final

LONDON: Aiden Markram played a defining 136-run knock in the fourth innings to steer South Africa to victory against Australia on the fourth day of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final here at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Saturday.

At the start of Day 4, South Africa were 213-2, needing 69 runs to clinch the title. Markram and captain Temba Bavuma resumed their innings with scores of 102 and 65 respectively.

Bavuma was able to add only one run to his score before being dismissed by his Australian counterpart, Pat Cummins, in the third over of the day.

Following this, Mitchell Starc removed Tristan Stubbs for 8 runs, giving Australia a glimmer of hope for a comeback.

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However, David Bedingham and Aiden Markram quickly extinguished that hope. The two added 35 runs for the fifth wicket, guiding the Proteas toward a historic victory.

Markram was eventually dismissed by Josh Hazlewood just inches away from victory, scoring a classy 136 runs off 207 balls, including 14 boundaries.

With only six runs needed to win, Kyle Verreynne joined Bedingham (21) and contributed four of those runs, including the winning run, thus ending South Africa’s ICC title drought.

READ: ICC snubs India’s WTC Final hosting bid, England to remain host

Aiden Markram joins elite club with stunning century in WTC Final at Lord’s

LONDON: South Africa’s Aiden Markram etched his name into the history books on Friday with a remarkable century in the fourth innings of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 against Australia at Lord’s.

After a forgettable six-ball duck in the first innings, Markram bounced back in style with an unbeaten 102* off 155 deliveries, a knock that not only revived South Africa’s chase but also placed him among an elite group of batters to score a century in a WTC final.

The Proteas opener now joins Australia’s Travis Head and Steve Smith in that exclusive list.

Head was the first to register a century in the WTC final — a match-winning 163 against India in 2023, followed by Smith’s gritty 121 in the same innings.

Batters to score a century in the WTC final

Travis Head (AUS): 163 vs India, 2023
Steve Smith (AUS): 121 vs India, 2023
Aiden Markram (SA): 102* vs Australia, 2025

Markram’s effort is particularly significant, considering the WTC Final at Lord’s is being played under high-pressure conditions and on a Day 3 pitch.

Notably, no batter managed a hundred in the inaugural WTC Final between India and New Zealand, with Devon Conway’s 54 being the highest individual score in that low-scoring contest.

This century also marks another milestone as Markram is now the first-ever South African to score a century in the fourth innings of a Test at Lord’s.

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He’s also the first overseas batter to hit a ton in the fourth innings at the iconic venue since Michael Clarke did it back in 2009.

With Aiden Markram standing tall and skipper Temba Bavuma providing solid support with a composed half-century, South Africa ended Day 3 in a dominant position.

They now need just 69 runs to win the WTC Final and end their ICC title drought that dates back to 1998.

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