South Africa may not have any World Cups to their name but that doesn’t deny that they are one of the strongest cricket teams in the world in any format. In T20s, they have some of the finest players of the format in the world, including AB de Villiers, David Miller, Quinton de Kock and many more.
Over the years, the South African T20 team has been captained by nine different cricketers. Most of them have contributed immensely to the Proteas team, both as a player and as a captain.
Here is a list of all of South Africa’s T20 skippers and how they have fared.
#1. Graeme Smith
The most successful Test skipper in history, Graeme Smith was one of the world’s finest batsmen during his playing days and undoubtedly the greatest captain South Africa ever had.
From 2005-2011, Smith played 33 T20 internationals for South Africa, scoring 982 runs at an average of 31.67 and at a strike rate of 127.53, with an unbeaten 89 against Australia at Johannesburg being his T20I score.
The left-handed opener captained South Africa in 27 T20 matches, with the Proteas winning 18 of them, and losing nine of them. He led South Africa in three T20 World Cups, in 2007, 2009, and 2010 with South Africa winning 11 matches combined in all the tournaments and losing five.
Under his leadership, South Africa came very close to winning the 2009 World T20 but they were eliminated in the semi-final, courtesy of a seven-run defeat against eventual winners Pakistan.
Smith resigned from the T20 captaincy in August 2010. With 18 wins, he is the second most successful T20I captain of South Africa and his win percentage of 66.67% is the highest for a South African T20 skipper who has led his team on more than 15 occasions.
| Matches captained | Won | Lost | NR | Win % |
| 27 | 18 | 9 | - | 66.67% |
#2. Shaun Pollock
One of the greatest all-rounders of all-time, Shaun Pollock played 12 T20 internationals for South Africa in the final years of his international career, picking up 15 wickets at an average of 20.60 and at an economy rate of 7.62.
Pollock led South Africa in one T20I during West Indies Tour of South Africa in December 2007. In the absence of Graeme Smith, Pollock was made the skipper for the first of two T20 matches against the Windies.
However, South Africa were defeated in a rain-affected game that reduced the match to only 13 overs a side. Pollock gave a disappointing performance as he scored only 2 with the bat and went for 19 runs in two overs. So far, he is the only South African player who did not win a single game as captain.
| Matches captained | Won | Lost | NR | Win Percentage |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
#3. Johan Botha
Currently an Australian citizen, Botha played 40 T20Is for South Africa, scoring 201 runs with the bat and picking up 37 wickets with the ball at an average of 22.64 and at an impressive economy rate of 6.37. Botha led South Africa in a total of 11 T20s, with South Africa winning eight of them and losing three.
The now 35-year-old first led South Africa in T20s in Graeme Smith’s absence. He captained the team to a series win over Australia in March 2009 and as a result, when Smith resigned from the T20 captaincy, Botha was appointed his successor.
The all-rounder led the South African T20 team on a permanent basis until January 2011. Botha’s last game as T20 captain was against India in Johannesburg in 2012 which South Africa won by 11 runs.
His win percentage of 72.72 is the highest for a South African skipper who has led his team in more than 10 T20 matches.
| Matches captained | Won | Lost | NR | Win Percentage |
| 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 72.72% |
#4. Hashim Amla
One of the finest batsmen of present times, Amla has played 38 T20Is for South Africa so far, scoring 1070 runs at an average of 32.42 and at a strike rate of 129.85 with 97 being his highest T20I score.
Following Johan Botha’s removal as T20 captain, Amla was appointed the skipper of the T20 team and he led South Africa during the home T20 series against Australia.
South Africa drew the series 1-1 after winning the second T20 but Amla had a disastrous series as he scored only 6 runs in both matches combined. Hence, he was replaced by AB de Villiers.
| Matches captained | Won | Lost | NR | Win Percentage |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
#5. AB de Villiers
One of the greatest and most innovative batsmen cricket has ever seen, ABD has played 76 T20Is for South Africa, scoring 1603 runs at an average of 25.85 and at a strike rate of 134.14, with an unbeaten 79 against Scotland during the 2009 World T20 being his highest T20 score.
De Villiers took over the T20 captaincy from Hashim Amla and led South Africa in 18 games, winning 8 and losing 9, with one match being abandoned. The middle-order batsman captained South Africa at the 2012 World T20 where they won both their group games but lost every match in the Super 8s and were knocked out of the competition.
As a result, De Villiers was replaced as T20 captain by Faf du Plessis. However, he led the team during the recent T20 series against England in Du Plessis’s absence.
| Matches captained | Won | Lost | NR | Win Percentage |
| 18 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 44.44% |
#6. Faf du Plessis
Du Plessis has played 36 T20Is for South Africa, scoring 1129 runs at an average of 37.63 and at a strike rate of 132.97 with a 56-ball knock of 119 against West Indies at Johannesburg being his highest T20 score.
Faf took over the reins of the T20 captaincy from De Villiers following the 2012 World T20 and became South Africa’s permanent T20 skipper, leading the team in 32 matches and winning 19 of them. Thus, Du Plessis is the most successful South African T20 skipper in terms of the number of wins.
He led South Africa to the semi-finals of the 2014 World T20 where they were beaten by India. He also led South Africa at the 2016 World T20.
| Matches captained | Won | Lost | NR | Win Percentage |
| 32 | 19 | 13 | 0 | 59.38% |
#7. JP Duminy
JP Duminy is South Africa’s highest run-scorer in T20Is with 1683 runs at an average of 38.25 and a strike rate of 124.29 with a 54-ball 96 against Zimbabwe in 2010 being his highest T20 score. Duminy got the opportunity to lead South Africa during a three-match T20 series against Australia in Australia.
Under the left-hander, South Africa won the first match at Adelaide but lost the second match at Melbourne where Duminy top scored with 49. SA also lost the final match at Sydney and Australia won the series. Barring his 49, Duminy gave a disappointing performance during the series and his captaincy wasn’t very good either.
| Matches captained | Won | Lost | NR | Win Percentage |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% |
#8. Justin Ontong
Undoubtedly, the most surprising name on the list, Ontong represented South Africa sporadically during the 2000s and 2010s. However, he managed to play 14 T20Is for South Africa, scoring 158 runs at an average of 15.80 but at a strike rate of nearly 145.
Ontong was selected for South Africa’s T20 series against West Indies in January 2015 and played the second T20 where the Proteas lost the match and the series despite posting 231 on the board. In the final T20, regular skipper Faf du Plessis was not chosen in the playing XI and Ontong captained the team instead.
South Africa went on to win the match by 69 runs under his leadership and managed to salvage some pride. Despite winning his only match as captain, Ontong never played for them again.
| Matches captained | Won | Lost | NR | Win Percentage |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
#9. Farhaan Behardien
Batting all-rounder Farhaan Behardien has played 32 T20Is for South Africa, scoring 403 runs at an average of 26.86 and at a strike rate of 119.58. The 33-year-old has represented SA in three World T20s in 2012, 2014, and 2016.
Behardien was appointed South Africa’s skipper for the home T20 series against Sri Lanka this January. Under his captaincy, SA won the first match by 19 runs where Behardien scored an unbeaten 31 of 18 balls.
However, South Africa failed to defend their total in the next two matches with Sri Lanka chasing down both totals in the final over. Behardien may not have led South Africa to a series win but his field settings and bowling rotation throughout the series were commendable and gave the hint that he has what it takes to be a charismatic leader.
| Matches captained | Won | Lost | NR | Win Percentage |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% |
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