154/5 (17.5)
CR : 8.64
153/7 (20.0)
CR : 7.65
South Africa won by 5 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Sikandar Raza
3/2973(43)
Player of the Match: Sikandar Raza.
Player of the Match Award in a Losing Cause in T20 WCs:
Chris Gayle (West Indies) vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2007
Zunaed Siddique (Bangladesh) vs Pakistan, Cape Town, 2007
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) vs South Africa, Delhi, 2026, Today*
Chris Gayle (West Indies) vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2007
Zunaed Siddique (Bangladesh) vs Pakistan, Cape Town, 2007
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) vs South Africa, Delhi, 2026, Today*
Sikandar Raza (Player of the Match): "(Immediate reflections) My immediate reflection is that I shouldn't be here. I've never got a man of the match for losing the game, but I just think I can hold my head high. I think the way the boys have played the whole tournament. I know we took a bit of beating in the previous two games, but I think with each beating came a valuable lesson. I think we have improved with every game that we have played at least now we've got a taste of what it needs what it takes and what it needs to be done for us to be a mid-table team in the top six or top seven. We take these valuable lessons go home and hopefully come back stronger and better.
(On his batting and the pitch) To be honest with you, I thought 180 would be par on that wicket because I thought it was slightly on the skiddy side. So I thought the square sides would be harder to hit. I thought if we can just get somehow 170-175 I think it will be a very good total on this wicket and true to that I think had we got to that, it would have been a very interesting game..
(On his bowling) It was certainly important but without even striking my immediate reaction was that we've only got two seamers. If there's one guy who needs to raise his hand, it has to be the captain. So I said I'll open the bowling. It came really nice so I ended up bowling three in the power play. If the leader stands up and raises his hand I think it gives a lot of confidence to the team and I think we needed to show it today"
(On his batting and the pitch) To be honest with you, I thought 180 would be par on that wicket because I thought it was slightly on the skiddy side. So I thought the square sides would be harder to hit. I thought if we can just get somehow 170-175 I think it will be a very good total on this wicket and true to that I think had we got to that, it would have been a very interesting game..
(On his bowling) It was certainly important but without even striking my immediate reaction was that we've only got two seamers. If there's one guy who needs to raise his hand, it has to be the captain. So I said I'll open the bowling. It came really nice so I ended up bowling three in the power play. If the leader stands up and raises his hand I think it gives a lot of confidence to the team and I think we needed to show it today"
Most Wins as a Captain in T20 WCs:
21 - MS Dhoni (India)
15* - Aiden Markram (South Africa)*
14 - Kane Williamson (New Zealand
21 - MS Dhoni (India)
15* - Aiden Markram (South Africa)*
14 - Kane Williamson (New Zealand
Most 6s by a team in a Single Edition of T20 WCs:
66 - West Indies in 2026*
63 - India in 2026*
62 - South Africa in 2026*
62 - West Indies in 2024
61 - India in 2024
66 - West Indies in 2026*
63 - India in 2026*
62 - South Africa in 2026*
62 - West Indies in 2024
61 - India in 2024
Highest Match Aggregates for South Africa vs Zimbabwe in T20Is:
380 – Kimberley, 2010
337 – Bloemfontein, 2010
307 – Delhi, 2026, Today*
380 – Kimberley, 2010
337 – Bloemfontein, 2010
307 – Delhi, 2026, Today*
Most Consecutive Wins in Men’s T20 World Cup:
12 – India (2024-2026)
8 – South Africa (2024)
8 – Australia (2022–2024)
7 – India (2012–2014)
7 – South Africa (2026- Present)*
12 – India (2024-2026)
8 – South Africa (2024)
8 – Australia (2022–2024)
7 – India (2012–2014)
7 – South Africa (2026- Present)*
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe captain): "(Takeaways from the campaign) Certainly qualifying (for the World Cup) was a big step, getting a ticket to the next World Cup (2028) without the qualifiers is a massive achievement. I think in these Super 8s, as much as we have lost, I can assure you, the lessons we have taken on has made us better. After the first game, we got better. After the second game, we even got better. So these are the things that when I look into my team and I say, you know what, we are learning, we are growing. And as a captain, I couldn't have asked for more and I couldn't be any more proud of the boys. And hopefully when we come back to the ICC, when it's next time, will be even better.
(On the 50-over World Cup in 2027) It looks too far away for some of us but we see where we are and we see how we go. But I just think for me, the culture we have built in the chain, whether we are there or we are not there, I think this team should be on autopilot and things should be very smooth. If all the senior boys are fit and healthy, we would love to be part of that as well. The chevrons have done something that hasn't been done before and I think the hope to the parents to allow their kids to take cricket as a primarily sport so that our depth can get better.Our standards can get better because right now immediate thing that Zimbabwe needs to do is to improve the pool of players. But I think what we have achieved now, Zimbabwe doesn't need to do anything, I think is going to happen automatically now.
(On the future) I can assure you one thing that Zimbabwe management, the MD and the chairman has been very active behind the scenes. We have got three home tours and one away tour in 2026 and with a possibility of two more tours and three of away series as well. So management has been really busy behind closed doors"
(On the 50-over World Cup in 2027) It looks too far away for some of us but we see where we are and we see how we go. But I just think for me, the culture we have built in the chain, whether we are there or we are not there, I think this team should be on autopilot and things should be very smooth. If all the senior boys are fit and healthy, we would love to be part of that as well. The chevrons have done something that hasn't been done before and I think the hope to the parents to allow their kids to take cricket as a primarily sport so that our depth can get better.Our standards can get better because right now immediate thing that Zimbabwe needs to do is to improve the pool of players. But I think what we have achieved now, Zimbabwe doesn't need to do anything, I think is going to happen automatically now.
(On the future) I can assure you one thing that Zimbabwe management, the MD and the chairman has been very active behind the scenes. We have got three home tours and one away tour in 2026 and with a possibility of two more tours and three of away series as well. So management has been really busy behind closed doors"
Aiden Markram (South Africa Captain): "Yeah, it’s nice to get the win. It can be quite a tricky one when you change the team a bit and bring in some guys who haven’t been playing regularly. But I thought the bowlers and the fielders really stepped up today.
Obviously, with the bat, we would have liked to be a bit more clinical, but it’s probably not the worst thing that the middle order was put under a bit of pressure and managed to come through. So there are some good things to take from it, and we’re obviously very grateful for the win as well.
(On trying to keep the momentum going) Yeah, it’s tricky. But the least you can do is give opportunities to the guys who’ve been working really hard behind the scenes. You never know when you might need them. We could get to certain conditions and feel they need to play in the XI, and having a game under their belt carries a lot of value. So I’m really happy we got the win and pleased with how the boys operated in the field and with the ball. As I said, from a batting point of view, we’ll take what we can from it and just keep moving forward, looking ahead to the next game.
(On the semis) Yeah, excited. It’s a really exciting semifinal — Kolkata against New Zealand, I believe. The boys will definitely be up for it in a couple of days’ time. It’s about playing one really good game of cricket, and hopefully, the results take care of themselves and we can find ourselves in the final. But there are still 40 overs of good cricket needed, and we need to give that the respect it deserves."
Obviously, with the bat, we would have liked to be a bit more clinical, but it’s probably not the worst thing that the middle order was put under a bit of pressure and managed to come through. So there are some good things to take from it, and we’re obviously very grateful for the win as well.
(On trying to keep the momentum going) Yeah, it’s tricky. But the least you can do is give opportunities to the guys who’ve been working really hard behind the scenes. You never know when you might need them. We could get to certain conditions and feel they need to play in the XI, and having a game under their belt carries a lot of value. So I’m really happy we got the win and pleased with how the boys operated in the field and with the ball. As I said, from a batting point of view, we’ll take what we can from it and just keep moving forward, looking ahead to the next game.
(On the semis) Yeah, excited. It’s a really exciting semifinal — Kolkata against New Zealand, I believe. The boys will definitely be up for it in a couple of days’ time. It’s about playing one really good game of cricket, and hopefully, the results take care of themselves and we can find ourselves in the final. But there are still 40 overs of good cricket needed, and we need to give that the respect it deserves."
Zimbabwe can hold their head up high. From losing to Uganda and consequently not qualifying for the last World Cup to knocking out Australia and reaching the Super 8s undefeated, they came a long way.
On the other hand, South Africa barge into the semi-finals without dropping a game and will be the firm favourites going forward. They play New Zealand in the semis on 4th March at the Eden Gardens. But before that Kolkata is hosting another knockout match right now. Switch tabs to join the coverage of India vs West Indies.
This is Darpan Tikiya signing off on the behalf of AkshayaKrishna Polya, Paras Yadav, Aman and Mohammad Anab.
On the other hand, South Africa barge into the semi-finals without dropping a game and will be the firm favourites going forward. They play New Zealand in the semis on 4th March at the Eden Gardens. But before that Kolkata is hosting another knockout match right now. Switch tabs to join the coverage of India vs West Indies.
This is Darpan Tikiya signing off on the behalf of AkshayaKrishna Polya, Paras Yadav, Aman and Mohammad Anab.