'Guys in the middle order are a lot more destructive...': Aiden Markram shares reason behind opening the batting for South Africa in T20Is

South Africa T20I captain Aiden Markram shared that he will continue to open the batting for his side in their upcoming assignments in the shortest format. The 30-year-old, who was the opener for the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025, has been seen fulfilling the same role in the first two games of the ongoing T20I series against Australia as well.

Ahead of the third and final game of the assignment in Cairns, Markram shared that the role of opener is best-suited for him as South Africa have multiple power-hitters in the middle-order. Notably, the likes of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs and Rassie van der Dussen bat for the Proteas in the middle. The skipper further remarked that it is exciting to bat in the powerplay as the openers have the responsiblity to get their team off to a strong start.

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“Going through our squads and the players that we’ve got around, we think probably that (opening) is the best fit. We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are a lot more destructive than I am, and we feel probably it’s better off for me and Ricks (Ryan Rickelton) to be up top," Markram told the reporters on Friday.

“I did it a bit at the IPL and am starting to do it now again at international cricket. It’s an exciting role. It’s always nice to bat in the powerplay, and the focus is to get the team off to good starts," he added.

The Proteas haven't been able to taste success in their last few assignments in the shortest format and have only emerged victorious in one out of their last nine bilateral T20I series. With the ongoing series against Australia tied at 1-1 with the final match yet to be played, Markram feels that the side can pull off a much-needed triumph.

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“It feels like we are moving in the right direction. The series has been good so far. Our bowlers have performed well. The previous game made our batters look good, but it was very much an individual performance. So a nice challenge for our batters tomorrow to hopefully click and for them to put on a good score," Markram stated.

Series decider to be played on August 16

Meanwhile, the final match of the three-match T20I series betweeen Australia and South Africa will be contested on August 16 at the Cazalys stadium. With both sides having won a game each, it will be interesting to see which one of the two will taste victory in the upcoming encounter.