3 positives South Africa can take from their 2023 World Cup campaign

South Africa were knocked out of the 2023 World Cup after losing to Australia in the semifinal at Eden Gardens on November 16. They failed to post a competitive total after a dreadful start by the top-order batters.

David Miller's century (101) came at a crucial time for the Proteas, but apart from Heinrich Klaasen (47), no one made any valuable contribution with the bat. They were bowled out for just 212 runs,

The South African bowlers made regular inroads, but the target was probably 30-40 runs short. Travis Head (62 runs and two wickets) starred for the Aussies as they won by three wickets and 16 balls to spare.

While Australia will travel to Ahmedabad to face India in the showpiece final of the 2023 World Cup, Temba Bavuma and Co. will return to South Africa. Although they didn't win the World Cup, they should be proud of themselves for putting up some phenomenal displays.

On that note, here are three positives that South Africa can take from their 2023 World Cup campaign.

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#1 Quinton de Kock retired from ODI cricket with a bang

Quinton de Kock had announced that he would be retiring from the 50-over format after the World Cup. Still only 30 and in the form of his life, this decision is not easy to digest. The wicketkeeper batter cited the lure of T20 franchise cricket as well as his desire to spend more time with his family as reasons for retiring from ODIs.

De Kock had a stellar tournament at the top of the order for the Proteas. He scored four centuries, one fewer than Rohit Sharma's five at the 2019 World Cup. The left-handed batter scored 594 runs in 10 matches, at an average just shy of 60 and a strike rate in excess of 100. He truly departed from the format in style.

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#2 Gerald Coetzee is the find of the tournament

From Allan Donald to Dale Steyn to Kagiso Rabada, South Africa have produced some world-class pacers over the years. With Gerald Coetzee, they might have just found another star fast bowler. Still only 23 years of age, Coetzee has left a lasting impact on world cricket due to his exploits at the 2023 World Cup.

The Bloemfontein-born picked up 20 wickets in just eight matches in the tournament, making him the leading wicket-taker for the Proteas. He managed to pick up more wickets than the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Shaheen Afridi and Mitchell Starc. Coetzee has also picked up the most wickets by a South African in a single World Cup edition.

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#3 South Africa's middle order is now feared by all teams

While Quinton de Kock's runs were essential at the top of the order, it was actually their middle order that helped them post such big totals. Rassie van der Dussen's anchoring ability (448 runs), Aiden Markram's stability (406 runs), Heinrich Klaasen's explosiveness (373 runs), and David Miller's clutch knocks (356 runs) were all crucial to the Proteas' success.

Their middle order propelled them to big scores, such as 428/5 against Sri Lanka, 399/7 against England, 382/5 against Bangladesh, and 357/4 against New Zealand. Due to such explosive batting, every team will now be aware of South Africa's ability to score 350+ runs with ease.