‘Chokers’ are forever! The ‘curse’ that has not left this team for 32 years

The final match of the T20 World Cup 2024 was a golden opportunity for South Africa to erase the stain. The stain of being chokers which the South African team has been carrying for 32 years. South Africa’s journey in ICC tournaments started with the 1992 ODI World Cup and it performed very well in it. But in the semi-finals, luck betrayed South Africa in such a way that it lost the winning match.

In the rain affected match, South Africa at one point needed 22 runs from 13 balls, but later due to a controversial decision, the target of 22 runs was achieved in just 1 ball which was impossible. This journey of South Africa started with misfortune, but in the next three decades it turned into the tag of chokers.

South Africa’s entry into ICC
This time South Africa was just one step away from being crowned the world champion. This was South Africa’s first entry in any final match of the ICC World Cup. It was a golden opportunity to remove the tag of chokers that had been stuck to them for years. In the decisive battle, the South African team showed their strength and fought till the end. But while winning, they lost the match and the wait of 32 years went on once again.

South Africa has played 7 semi-finals and one final in the ICC World Cup so far. In the 1992 ODI World Cup semi-final, England defeated them by 19 runs. In the 1999 ODI World Cup semi-final, the match against Australia was tied. Australia got a ticket to the final because they were above South Africa in the Super-6 table.

Fund of 7
Then in the 2007 ODI World Cup semi-final, Australia defeated them by 7 wickets. In the 2009 T20 World Cup semi-final, Pakistan defeated them by 7 runs. In the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final, India lost by 6 wickets. In the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final, New Zealand defeated them by 4 wickets. In the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, Australia again defeated them by 3 wickets. In the 2024 T20 World Cup final, India lost by 7 runs.

If we look at these statistics, the South African team has lost in close matches on most occasions. Due to which they have also been tagged as chokers. Although in the T20 World Cup 2024, South Africa definitely broke the streak of losing in the semi-finals, but the dream of becoming the world champion has remained unfulfilled for 32 years.

tag: Cricket South Africa, ICC T20 World Cup