Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], December 20 (ANI): After losing the fifth and final T20I by 30 runs against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, South Africa captain Aiden Markram said that this experience will prove valuable for them ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

During the post-match presentation, Makram highlighted that there isn't always a strict batting order in the shortest format.

'Tough loss. Chasing 230 was always going to need a near-perfect effort. Quinny and the top three set it up really well for us, and we were right in the contest. But in the middle overs, we just couldn't quite maintain that momentum,' Markram said.

'Still, there's plenty to take away - lessons we'll learn as a group. And with quite a few World Cup games being played here, I'm sure this experience will prove valuable. We wanted to expose Brevis to that pressure situation. He makes batting look really easy at times, and that phase of the game was important. There was also a tactical angle - left-right combinations, trying to make things as difficult as possible for the opposition. In T20 cricket, there isn't always a strict batting order; much of it comes down to gut feel. 'That's what we went with tonight, and I think flexibility is something most T20 teams rely on,' Markram added.

Markram commented that these T20I games against India have given them a clearer idea of the upcoming T20 World Cup. The South African captain also hailed the Indian side for playing quality cricket throughout the series.

It was challenging, definitely. We were asked some tough questions. That's a good thing, because now we have a clearer idea of what's required to lift the World Cup. We faced a quality Indian side that played really well, and credit to them. But we also looked inward, identified areas to improve, and the lessons we've learned over these two weeks are invaluable,' Markram concluded.

Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy's fantastic performance helped Team India register a 30-run win and clinch the five-match T20I series 3-1 against South Africa. With this win, India registered their eighth consecutive T20I series win since 2023.

Batting first, India posted 231/5 on the board. Sanju Samson (37), Abhishek Sharma (34), Tilak Varma (73) and Hardik Pandya (63) chipped in runs for the hosts. For South Africa, Corbin Bosch (2/44), George Linde (1/46) and Ottneil Baartman (1/39).

In response, Quinton de Kock's 65-run knock went in vain as South Africa made 201/8 in 20 overs and lost the high-scoring contest. For India, Varun Chakaravarthy (4/53) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/17) had a good outing with the ball.

Hardik was named Player of the Match for his 16-ball half-century. (ANI)