South Africa’s defeats in the knockout stages of the last 5 ICC tournaments

South Africa’s struggles in the knockout stages of ICC men’s tournaments continue to be a recurring theme. Here’s a brief overview of their defeats in the last five ICC events:

South Africa in ICC tournaments

1. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: In the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, New Zealand secured a decisive 50-run victory over South Africa. New Zealand, opting to bat first at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, amassed an impressive 362 runs for the loss of 6 wickets.
2. T20 World Cup 2024:  India’s score in the T20 World Cup 2024 final. According to the official results, India scored 176/7 against South Africa. South Africa chased 177 but managed only 169/8 in their 20 overs. Heinrich Klaasen scored 52 runs from 27 balls, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win for South Africa. India won the match by 7 runs, securing their second T20 World Cup title.
3. ODI World Cup 2023: In the 2nd semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Australia defeated South Africa by three wickets. South Africa, after choosing to bat first, managed to score 212 runs in 49.4 overs, thanks largely to a century from David Miller (101) and a significant contribution from Heinrich Klaasen (47). Australia then successfully chased down the target, reaching 215/7 in 47.2 overs.  Australia that won with three wickets in hand. South Africa’s innings ended with all wickets down at 212 runs.
4. ODI World Cup 2015: South Africa lost to New Zealand in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final. The match was played on March 24, 2015, at Eden Park in Auckland. South Africa batted first and scored 281/5 in 43 overs. New Zealand, with a revised target of 298 due to rain, successfully chased it down, scoring 299/6 in 42.5 overs. They won by four wickets with one ball remaining, using the Duckworth-Lewis method.
5. T20 World Cup 2014: In the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, South Africa lost to India in the second semi-final. The match took place on April 4, 2014, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh. South Africa batted first, scoring 172/4 in their 20 overs, with notable contributions from Faf du Plessis (58) and JP Duminy (45*). India successfully chased the target, reaching 176/4 in 19.1 overs. Virat Kohli played a crucial role with a stunning 72 off 44 balls, helping India win by six wickets with five balls to spare.

These defeats highlight South Africa’s historical challenges in high-pressure knockout matches, though they have shown signs of improvement in recent tournaments.

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