WATCH: SA Player of the Year Aiden Markram sets sights on Proteas home summer and World Cup glory

South Africa’s newly crowned Men’s Player of the Year Aiden Markram is hoping to win more trophies with the Proteas over the next 18 months.

Markram was honoured with the premier prize in men’s cricket due to his consistency across all three formats last year, which was punctuated by his match-winning century in the second innings of the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s to lead the Proteas to their first major ICC title in 27 years.

Although Markram led from the front in the T20 World Cup earlier this year as the team’s leading run-scorer in the tournament with 286 runs, he could ultimately not take the team over the line as the Proteas faltered at the semi-final hurdle.

The Proteas opener is therefore not too fussed about individual honours, but would rather play a role in helping the squad secure a major white-ball trophy — especially with the ODI World Cup set to be hosted in South Africa next October for the first time in 24 years.

“We did some incredible things as a team. That’s ultimately what you work for,” Markram said at the Sandton Convention Centre.

“Personally, I felt like I had a lot more in me. I think when you play so often, you probably get caught up in not being able to process things much and you just sort of move on to the next thing. Maybe it was the case that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. So, I’m really grateful for how things worked out.

“Again, each and every guy that was nominated could have got the award. So, it’s not about winning these awards.

“In all honesty, if we can win some more trophies, it’s what I’ve always been striving for. So, hopefully we get there. We’re working towards that and chipping away. So, 2027, hopefully the stars align for the white-ball squad. One day when you’re 50, 60 years old, you can think back and be like, that was a flippen good time.”

The Making Of A Masterpiece. 🏆

Congratulations to Aiden Markram on being named the SA Men’s Player of the Year. 🙌

From an unforgettable century in the World Test Championship Final, the foundation was set for a season of brilliance, resilience, and performances that left… pic.twitter.com/KCsToDXB2J

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 16, 2026

After being on the road for the majority of last season, with the Proteas men’s team playing just three T20Is at home, Markram is eager to perform before the faithful at familiar venues again in a bumper 2026/27 home international season, with Australia, Bangladesh, and England set to tour South Africa.

“It’s quite a pity we haven’t played Test cricket in front of our own fans,” he said. “We can have conversations from there. Different conversations. But it’s going to be nice to play Test cricket in front of our own fans again.

“But not just play cricket, but again, some really exciting opposition. I mean, you’ve got Australia, England, and you’ve got that Bangladesh that’s coming now, with a pace attack that they’ve developed. I mean, that’s no pushover at all.

“It’s going to make for a really exciting series. Obviously, we’ve got the 50-over ODI World Cup prep, which we are building towards. So, we need to make sure that it still is involved somewhere larger. And that’s exciting.”

Honoured By His Own. 😎

Congratulations to Aiden Markram on being named the SA Men’s Players’ Player of the Year. 🌟

A true mark of excellence, earning the admiration of his teammates through a year of remarkable performances, composure under pressure, and moments that… pic.twitter.com/FrDK7AKNLV

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 16, 2026