3 players who can replace Temba Bavuma as South Africa's T20 captain
South Africa white-ball captain Temba Bavuma on Friday, February 17, replaced Dean Elgar as Test captain of the team. Bavuma relinquished the T20I captaincy to focus on the longer formats of the game.
Bavuma was appointed white-ball skipper of the Proteas in March 2021, taking over the reins from Quinton de Kock. He led South Africa in 25 T20 Internationals, including back-to-back T20 World Cups in the UAE (2021) and Australia (2022).
South Africa won 15 and lost nine matches in the shortest format under Bavuma's leadership. His last game in charge was when the Proteas crashed out of the T20 World Cup by the Netherlands in October last year.
The Lions player finished as the third-most capped South Africa captain in T20Is behind Graeme Smith (27) and Faf du Plessis (37).
Bavuma will continue to lead the ODI team as they eye direct qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India in October and November.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) are yet to announce Bavuma's replacement in the shortest format. The team is scheduled to play a three-match T20I series against the West Indies, starting on March 25, after the completion of the Test and ODI legs.
Let's look at three players from the current South Africa T20I side who can assume a leadership role in the shortest format.
Three players who can replace Temba Bavuma as South Africa's T20 captain
#3 Quinton de Kock
De Kock has already led the Proteas across all formats of international cricket. He replaced du Plessiss as South Africa captain in all three formats in the span of a year.
He got his first captaincy role for South Africa during the 2018 tour of Sri Lanka. He was named captain for the last two ODI matches as Faf injured his shoulder.
The team lost both games under de Kock, but the series was already sealed with an unassailable 3-0 lead.
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After leading South Africa in 11 T20 Internationals with eight ODIs and four Tests, de Kock was replaced by Bavuma and Dean Elgar in white-ball and red-ball cricket, respectively, in March 2021.
The wicketkeeper-batter could be considered for the leadership role in T20Is unless he is reluctant to do so.
#2 Aiden Markram
Markaram remains the only captain to lift the ICC U19 World Cup for South Africa in 2014 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He was also named the player of the series for scoring 370 runs in the tournament at 123.33.
A 23-year-old Aiden Markram, who had played just two One-Day International matches in his career at that point, was surprisingly named the captain of South Africa during the six-match ODI series against India.
The move came after then regular captain Faf du Plessis fractured his right index finger in the first ODI and Markram was asked to lead in the remaining five matches.
Markram's international captaincy wasn't off to an ideal start, with South Africa losing the series 5-1. He never captained South Africa in any format thereafter.
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However, his recent success with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) in the inaugural edition of SA20 would give him the credentials to lead in the shortest format.
The SEC emerged champions of the SA20 first season, and Markram led from the front with 366 runs in 12 matches, including a century in the semi-final against Joburg Super Kings.
#1 David Miller
With 152 ODI caps and 111 T20I matches since 2010, David Miller is the most senior player in South Africa's current white-ball setup.
Miller's first captaincy stint with South Africa occurred during the 2019 home T20Is against Pakistan. Faf was rested for the last two games, considering the workload management.
Miller scored a 29-ball 65 in his first captaincy match as the Proteas beat Pakistan by seven runs to clinch the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Three years later, Miller was named the captain of the Proteas for the three-match T20I series against England in July 2022 in Bavuma's absence owing to injury.
South Africa came from behind to win the series 2-1 under Miller. His last leadership role in the national colors was seen in the second T20I match against Ireland in Bristol.
Miller has also led numerous franchises in different T20 leagues, including Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings in the IPL), Barbados Royals (CPL 2022), and Paarl Royals (SA20 2023).