Aiden Markram stroked his career-best 68

Following a nerve-wracking double-super-over triumph against Afghanistan on Wednesday, South Africa enjoyed a far simpler seven-wicket demolition of New Zealand on Saturday. Captain Aiden Markram acknowledged that while scraping through tight contests improves dressing room morale, executing clinical, technical performances is significantly less stressful mentally.

He hopes for more comfortable outings moving forward. Marco Jansen agreed, highlighting the emotional exhaustion caused by the Afghanistan thriller compared to Saturday’s composure. Crucially, Jansen praised the squad’s growing depth, noting that victory no longer depends on the same few stars; instead, the entire bowling and batting units are contributing collectively.

Remaining unbeaten after three matches played in Ahmedabad, the Proteas are now on the verge of reaching the Super Eights. A win against the United Arab Emirates in Delhi on Wednesday secures progression. However, their immediate challenge involves quickly adapting to the unfamiliar playing conditions awaiting them at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium.