South Africa outclassed Zimbabwe by five wickets in the 11th match of the Super Eight round of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Zimbabwe managed 153/7 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. A superb knock of 73 off 43 balls by Sikandar Raza, along with a brief cameo from Clive Madande, helped Zimbabwe cross the 150-run mark. Kwena Maphaka (2/21 in 4 overs) was the most successful bowler for South Africa, while Corbin Bosch also picked up two wickets.

While chasing, South Africa lost both their openers in the first three overs. Sikandar Raza (3/29 in 4 overs) dismissed both opening batters. Ryan Rickelton was then removed by Brad Evans in the sixth over. Despite losing early wickets, South Africa crossed the finishing line with 13 balls to spare. Dewald Brevis played a fiery knock of 42 off just 18 balls. Tristan Stubbs and George Linde took charge after Brevis and David Miller were dismissed. Both Stubbs and Linde remained unbeaten till the end.

With this win, South Africa reached the semi-final without losing a single match.

Raza carries Zimbabwe

While Raza was at the crease, Zimbabwe depended almost entirely on him. He made 73 out of the 98 runs scored during his time in the middle. He struck 12 of the team’s 13 boundaries. His strike rate was close to 170, while the batter at the other end scored at just 86.

From over 4.3 to 16.3, Raza controlled the innings. When South Africa introduced a change bowler to close the powerplay, he attacked immediately and hit Corbin Bosch for 15 runs in one over. His method was simple and clear. Clearing his front leg was the only early movement he made. If the ball was full, he played it firmly through the off side with a straight bat. If it was short, he used a horizontal bat and hit it hard over the leg side.

Maphaka makes his mark

Nineteen-year-old Kwena Maphaka played only his second match of the tournament but impressed with pace in the low 140kph range. He generated movement with both the new and old ball. He finished with figures of 4-0-21-2 and ended his spell with a sharp offcutter that surprised the batter.

Importantly, he dismissed Raza. In the 17th over, Maphaka went around the wicket and delivered a ball that straightened. Raza played for the angle and closed his bat face, which led to a simple catch at point for David Miller.

With senior players Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen rested before the semi-finals, South Africa’s bench players stepped up well. George Linde opened the bowling and returned 3-0-22-1, while Anrich Nortje took 1 for 29 from his four overs.

Raza strikes again

Raza also made an early impact with the ball. He opened the bowling and dismissed Quinton de Kock for a duck. It was the 41st time in this tournament that an offspinner removed a left-handed batter.

Soon after, Raza outsmarted Markram. Using the carrom ball grip, he bowled one slightly short. Markram focused on the length and tried to hit over the leg side. He failed to read the variation, and his middle stump was knocked back. South Africa slipped to 14 for 2 in the third over, putting their unbeaten record under pressure.

Rickelton shaken but fights back

At the other end, Brad Evans bowled a back-of-the-hand bouncer that struck Ryan Rickelton on the helmet. Rickelton received medical attention for several minutes but was later cleared of concussion. He responded strongly by hitting three sixes in his next five balls.

However, when he tried to attack another short ball from Evans, he mistimed it. Ryan Burl took an excellent catch at deep square leg, recovering well after initially misjudging his position. Zimbabwe’s fielding improved significantly in this day game after earlier struggles under lights against West Indies and India.

Miller and Brevis rebuild

South Africa ended the powerplay on 43 runs but had already lost three wickets. That brought Dewald Brevis (42 off 18) together with Miller. The pair played some of the most attractive shots of the match. They added 50 runs in just 25 balls for the fourth wicket and steadied the chase.

Zimbabwe refuse to give up

Zimbabwe’s supporters, including the lively Castle Corner group, created strong energy in the Delhi crowd. The team responded by breaking the partnership. Blessing Muzarabani dismissed Miller to claim his 12th wicket of the tournament and move to second on the top wicket-takers list. Four balls later, Raza removed Brevis.

South Africa were 101 for 5 in the 11th over while chasing 154. They remained favourites, but Zimbabwe had forced them to work hard for the win.

Brief Scorecard