(Web Desk) — South Africa crushed Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup hopes in a dominant display on Wednesday, securing a nine-wicket victory with over 11 overs to spare. This triumph propelled South Africa to their first-ever final in the cricket showcase.

Tabraiz Shamsi (3 for 6) and Marco Jansen (3-16) led the destruction of Afghanistan’s fragile batting line-up, which collapsed for just 56 runs in 11.5 overs after opting to bat. Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje added to the pressure, taking two wickets each at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.

Despite losing Quinton de Kock early to Fazalhaq Farooqi, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks (29 not out) and captain Aiden Markram (23 not out) steered the team to a comfortable win at 60 for one in 8.5 overs. This victory sets up a final against the winner of Thursday’s semi-final between England and unbeaten India in Guyana, to be held on Saturday in Barbados.

Man of the Match Jansen praised South Africa’s bowling strategy, saying, “We assessed pretty early that the wicket was giving us something to work with, so it was just about sticking to our plans, keeping it simple, and getting the results.”

Afghanistan struggled throughout their innings, with only Azmatullah Omarzai (10) reaching double figures. Extras contributed 13 runs to their total in a disappointing performance, a stark contrast to their thrilling win over Bangladesh in St. Vincent that secured their semi-final spot.

Afghanistan’s reliance on openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran to provide a solid start was evident. When Jansen dismissed Gurbaz for a duck in the first over, Afghanistan’s worst fears were realized as South Africa capitalized on their technical weaknesses.

Afghan captain Rashid Khan reflected on the tough loss, acknowledging the exceptional South African bowling. “It was a tough night for us as a team, but that’s how it goes in T20s. You need to be mentally ready for any kind of situation. They bowled exceptionally, and we just couldn’t bat well,” he said.

Markram, who previously led South Africa to the Under-19 title in 2014, credited the team’s collective effort for their success. “It’s not really the captain who gets you to this stage of a competition. It’s a massive squad effort involving those behind the scenes and off the field,” he explained.

This marks South Africa’s first senior men’s final since the 1998 Champions Trophy in Bangladesh, where they defeated Brian Lara’s West Indies team.

Despite the loss, Rashid remained positive about Afghanistan’s future. “We came here before the tournament, and if you told us we would be playing the semi-final against South Africa, we would accept that,” he said. “We are capable of beating any side. Next time, we will have the belief and work harder, especially in the middle order.”

Afghanistan aims to build on their achievements and improve their performance in future tournaments, particularly focusing on strengthening their batting department.