Junior Proteas aim to reach World Cup final after a decade

Cricket history books show the ICC U19 World Cup semifinal track record does not favour the host nation to reach the final. 

It is something that has been done only three times — twice by Australia in 1988 and 2012 and Sri Lanka in 2000. 

When SA, who have only lost once in the 2024 edition, meet an unbeaten India at Willowmoore Park, Benoni, on Tuesday (10am) they will hope to add their name to the list.

The last time they reached an ICC U19 World Cup semifinal was in 2014 in the UAE, where they were eventually crowned champions. 

Back then, the team was captained by Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada was their strike bowler.

This time around the Junior Proteas will be led by Juan James, and Kwena Maphaka who has been the major talking point of the tournament will have the prestige of leading the bowling attack, which has been nothing short of dominant. 

“When we started the tournament, the objective was to make it to the semifinals and the final, and that is becoming somewhat of a reality,” James said.

“The guys are performing consistently and it’s really team effort and individual performances that we are looking for,” he said. 

Quick bowler Maphaka has been in sensational form with the new ball for most of the tournament.

He is the tournament’s leading wicket taker with 18 wickets and his ability to get some movement early could be difficult for the India top order to handle.

If SA are to defeat the reigning champions, Maphaka will need to make early inroads and that is something India wicketkeeper Innesh Mahajan said they are wary of. 

The Indians had a dress rehearsal against the hosts in the Tri-Series before the global showpiece commenced in January and Mahajan said he hopes that will help them.

India’s strength at the tournament has been their batting and Musheer Khan has played a major part in this with two centuries and a half-century, recording the most runs at the event.

India have batted first in every match during their unbeaten run in SA and will back Musheer and his fellow top order to put another big score on the board against the tournament hosts.

With the ball, India will bank on spinner Saumy Pandey, who is third on the list of wicket takers in the competition with 16 scalps. 

“We are looking forward to the game,” Mahajan said.

“In the mini tournament we got to know them. We have some plans for them, and we will try to execute them at our best.

“We have been watching them closely.

“We have to adapt to the conditions in Benoni.

“We have seen how in the previous matches the pitch has reacted and we have to be prepared.”