South Africa ends 27-year ICC drought: WTC win sparks 2027 World Cup hopes

South Africa ended a 27-year wait for an ICC trophy by clinching the World Test Championship (WTC) against Australia at Lord's, marking their first major ICC success since 1998.

Chasing 282 runs, the Proteas were anchored by Aiden Markram's unbeaten 136 and Temba Bavuma's resilient 87, securing a five-wicket victory in one of the highest successful chases at Lord's.

Bavuma reflected on the team's journey, saying, “We got ourselves into the final. There were doubters as to the route that we took – supposedly playing weaker teams. We’re happy that we were able to perform our best, and hopefully that kind of squashes that.”

Kagiso Rabada, despite recent challenges including a drug ban, played a vital role with nine wickets across both innings, while Keshav Maharaj's emotional post-match interview highlighted the significance of the win: “It's special, it's an honour to lift the cup for everyone out here and back home. Tears won't even describe what we feel right now.”

The victory ended decades of heartbreak and near-misses for South Africa in ICC tournaments, with former captain Graeme Smith witnessing emotional scenes.

Looking ahead, Bavuma expressed optimism about the future, especially with South Africa set to co-host the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia: “We recognise that the sun shines on us and we have the responsibility of doing something that has never been done before... We hope that this is the start of something. There could be more trophies.”

This landmark win not only boosts South Africa's cricketing legacy but also ignites hopes for sustained success on the global stage.

South Africa ended a 27-year ICC trophy drought by winning the World Test Championship against Australia at Lord's, led by Aiden Markram's unbeaten 136 and Temba Bavuma's resilient 87. The victory sparked hopes for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, which South Africa will co-host.