Canada vs South Africa T20 World Cup match: Internet erupts as play begins, says 'empty stadium is just vibe'

Social media lit up as South Africa faced Canada in their opening match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with fans reacting to everything from the sparse crowd to the early flow of the game. Canada have won the toss and has opted to field in match number 9 of the ongoing Men's T20 World Cup against South Africa. Finalists in the last edition, South Africa arrive as one of the major contenders for the title, while Canada will aim to begin their tournament with a win.

Canada’s decision to bowl first handed South Africa an immediate opportunity to assert their dominance with the bat, and Aiden Markram’s side wasted little time doing so. Openers Quinton de Kock and Markram set the tone early, combining positive intent with clean hitting to put the Canadian bowlers under sustained pressure. Their attacking partnership powered South Africa to 66 without loss in the powerplay, giving the innings a strong foundation.

Markram then held the innings together with composed, fluent strokeplay, ensuring the momentum never dipped. The skipper brought up a well-paced half-century as South Africa crossed the 100-run mark, steering the innings confidently and positioning his side for a potentially daunting total. Canada, meanwhile, struggled to find breakthroughs as the runs continued to flow freely.

The match marked the beginning of South Africa’s new T20 World Cup campaign, with the Proteas entering the tournament as last edition’s runners-up and determined to go one step further this time. On paper, the clash against Canada appeared to be a favourable opener, but the early days of the competition have already underlined how unpredictable the format can be.