It appeared South Africa had finally shed the ‘chokers’ tag when they defeated Australia by five wickets to win the World Test Championship in June 2025.
Less than a year later, the unwanted nickname is back on them.
South Africa headed confidently to the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against New Zealand after maintaining a perfect record in the tournament.
However, the Proteas couldn’t deliver when it mattered most. New Zealand crushed them by nine wickets, with Finn Allen hitting a sensational century.
South Africa repeatedly fall short
The origin of their ‘choker’ reputation dates back to the 1999 World Cup, when they tied the semi-final from a winning position.
Chasing 214, they needed nine runs from the final over with one wicket in hand. Lance Klusener struck boundaries off the first two deliveries to level the scores.
After a dot ball, Klusener attempted to take a single. But his partner Allan Donald didn’t hear the call and was run out by Adam Gilchrist.
The match ended in a tie, with Australia qualifying for the final due to a superior Super Six record.
More disappointments have followed. They couldn’t make it beyond the group stage in the 2003 World Cup before a quarter-final exit in the following edition.
The Proteas were easily the best team at the 2015 World Cup, when they had AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn in their ranks.
They came up short in the semi-final, as Grant Elliott’s late heroics powered New Zealand to a thrilling victory.
South Africa also reached the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies.
They looked well on course to chase down India’s 176 total with Heinrich Klaasen at the crease.
But a spectacular batting collapse in the final five overs allowed their opponents back into the game.
