T20 World Cup 2024: Aiden Markram feels Proteas managed to get rid of chokers’ tag to an extent by making first WC final

A devastated South African skipper Aiden Markram is hopeful that at some point he would be able to see the good in his team’s T20 World Cup campaign but for now, all he feels is a “sting” which, he hopes, will ensure a “fire in the belly for next time”.

A devastated South African skipper Aiden Markram is hopeful that at some point he would be able to see the good in his team's T20 World Cup campaign but for now, all he feels is a "sting" which, he hopes, will ensure a "fire in the belly for next time".

South Africa needed 30 off 30 balls in a chase of 176 against India but fell short by seven runs despite Heinrich Klaasen's awe-inspiring 27-ball 52 in the see-saw summit clash in Bridgetown on June 29.

India had Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya's death bowling and a blinder of a catch by Suryakumar Yadav to thank for the close win after the peerless Virat Kohli set up the match for them with a brilliant 76-run knock.

"It's not the first game of cricket that's been lost with a team needing 30 of 30 – it's more that India was allowed to bowl well, they're allowed to field well, they're allowed to go from that position to a position of strength," the 29-year-old Markram said in the post-match press conference.

"...right now to pinpoint something is quite tough but we'll reflect over the next few days, over the next few weeks, try and find areas that we could have maybe improved in during today's game, but also to highlight the things that went really well for us," he added.

The pain aside, Markram is proud of his teammates, who managed to get rid of the chokers' tag to an extent by making their first World Cup final.

"I think one thing that I will definitely say is how proud we are. Not just of today, the game itself, but the competition as a whole, the build-up to get here.