Just not quite good enough: how the Proteas rated at the Champions Trophy

It was another tournament in which the Proteas were impressive in the early rounds then bombed out in the knockout stages.

After Wednesday's 50-run Champions Trophy semifinal defeat against New Zealand, TimesLIVE Premium rates the tournament performances of the South African players, in an event where they soundly beat Afghanistan and England in the group stage. 

Temba Bavuma 6 (out of 10)

Two fifties in the two innings’ he played is a useful return, but in the subcontinent, those need to be hundreds to provide greater impact. He said as much after the semifinal. As was the case in the ODI World Cup, Bavuma again missed a match because of illness, which must be infuriating. Some of the field placings in the latter stages of NZ’s innings didn’t help his bowlers and in terms of his overall leadership, he must wonder what he must do to draw out better performances from his team in playoff games.

Ryan Rickelton 6

A century in his first ICC tournament was the continuation of the outrageous form that has defined his season. Rickelton has added punch at the top of the order and as the build-up to the 2027 World Cup sharpens, he is putting himself into a position where he is a lock-in for that event. Victim to NZ’s meticulous planning in the semi, that dismissal will serve as a lesson about how group matches and playoff games differ. 

Rassie van der Dussen 7

Having spoken about the possibility of the Champions Trophy being his last ICC event, the 36-year-old finished it as SA’s leading run-scorer with 193 runs in three innings. That output suggested he still has an important part to play in the future. Whether that includes the 2027 World Cup remains to be seen.

Aiden Markram 5

A good half-century against Afghanistan, but when it mattered in Lahore, he offered up a soft dismissal amid SA’s capitulation in the run chase. Markram’s form over the season has been iffy and AB de Villiers’ assertion that he looks like he is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders holds some truth. Remains an important cog for 2027, but needs more impactful performances to keep the wolves at bay.

Heinrich Klaasen 4

Days after saying he wanted to be the best player in the world, Klaasen produced arguably his worst game in the past three years. That it should come on as big a stage as a semifinal will damage the reputation of a player who has rightfully been regarded as one of the most destructive white ball batters this country has produced. But SA needs its best players to perform in the biggest matches and Klaasen didn’t do that — his dropping of Kane Williamson was a major turning point in the semifinal.

David Miller 7

His hundred was a lovely way to end the tournament but the lack of assistance from teammates meant it was meaningless. Could he have started his six-hitting earlier? Maybe. But that would have been hard given how wickets were falling when he got to the crease. He has consistently been SA’s best player in knockout matches and may have to take on a bigger role up the order to allow him to manage more of the innings. Has said he is taking his international career year by year, so his participation in 2027 remains under review. 

Marco Jansen 3

Far from his best in the semifinal, something that is becoming a trend in what is still the early stage of his international career. Has publicly acknowledged how he has struggled with nerves previously and tried to manage that by talking down how important the semifinal was. If that’s a way to relieve pressure it’s not working. He is too important a player for substandard performances to keep occurring in the knockout games and the pressure is on the coaching staff to aid in getting the best out of him when it matters. 

Wiaan Mulder 5

In and out of the team throughout his career, this was the first time he got a full go at a senior ICC tournament, so the inconsistency was understandable. Showed he is a capable seam bowling option in all three games, but despite the extra pace he’s added recently, is still a bowler opposition batters feel they can line up. Has shown in the SA20 he’s a capable “finisher” with the bat, but it is an area that needs improvement at international level. 

Kagiso Rabada 4

SA’s best player, and as is the case with the best players in other teams (see Virat Kohli for India, Steve Smith for Australia and Williamson for NZ), it should be expected that he will produce high quality in the biggest matches. He didn’t. Patchy at best in the semifinal, Rabada’s status as a white ball great is still up for debate, simply because in playoff matches he’s yet to swing a result his team’s way.

Keshav Maharaj 5

Still SA’s top spinner in the limited overs formats, but came under pressure from Williamson and especially Rachin Ravindra in Lahore. Didn’t get as much purchase from the surface as Santner managed and though he conceded less than seven runs an over, he didn’t really look like he’d take a wicket. At 35, he’s also in the age bracket where 2027 merits conversation in the coming months.

Lungi Ngidi 6

Wednesday’s was his best performance for a few years and should offer a reminder, mainly to himself, about why he remains valuable in the limited overs formats. It also shows the importance of game time, which has been lacking for much of this season. Ngidi’s physique means he does have to be carefully managed, but he also needs to understand why playing more leads to playing better.

* Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs each played one game and didn’t merit a ranking.