New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) South Africa have a chance to ‘go all the way’ to winning the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup title when the mega event begins on February 7, said former all-rounder JP Duminy.

The Proteas are yet to win a title, and their best result in the tournament has been as runners-up in the 2024 edition, where they lost in the final to India by seven runs in Barbados. The side is currently playing against West Indies in three T20Is before heading to India for their Men’s T20 World Cup games.

South Africa will begin their Group D campaign against Canada at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 9, before taking on Afghanistan, New Zealand, and the UAE in the group stage.

“We have been playing really good cricket over the last year or so, particularly in white-ball formats, and the squad we have certainly gives us a chance to go all the way. There’s always that elusive thought of when South Africa will win a white-ball competition, and I think we give ourselves a good chance going into this one,” Duminy told IANS on Thursday.

The upcoming tournament will be the first white-ball competition South Africa will play under Shukri Conrad’s coaching, after he took over as the all-format coach in July last year. Duminy, who played six T20 World Cups for South Africa, pointed to the form of the captain Aiden Markram as a key factor in how the side fares in the competition.

Markram is coming on the back of making 309 runs in nine games for Durban’s Super Giants in the recent edition of SA20 and struck an unbeaten 86 in the first T20I, where South Africa beat West Indies by nine wickets in Paarl.

“What stands out for me is the form of the players, especially the captain. From a batting point of view, the form he’s in is important, and if he plays well, we give ourselves a very good chance as a team,” he added.

Currently featuring in the World Legends Pro T20 League in Goa, Duminy said being in the competition has been a rewarding experience. “It’s been great. You get to see familiar faces you’ve played with and against over the years. Being part of a tournament like this, playing the game we love and bringing people together, is really awesome.”

He signed off by saying the competitive spirit remains strong among former players. “The competitive nature never disappears. Everyone still wants to play at a level that gives them the best chance of winning games. Beyond that, it’s the camaraderie – the change room, the banter that you miss, and coming together to play the game again brings all of that back.”

–IANS

nr/bsk/