T20 World Cup 2026: Raza’s brilliance in vain as South Africa betters Zimbabwe to secure top spot in Group 2
South Africa’s collective might trumped Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza’s individual brilliance on a hot Sunday afternoon at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. In their final Super Eight fixture of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Proteas chased down 154 with five wickets in hand to maintain their perfect record in the competition.
Aiden Markram and Co. will take on New Zealand in the semifinals in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Raza, who will turn 40 in April, was peerless on the day. After hammering 73 off 43 balls, he also snared three scalps with his off-breaks. Having taken the new ball, he induced Quinton de Kock’s edge in the very first over, and castled Markram with a ball that kept a tad low in the third over. When Ryan Rickelton miscued a pull off Brad Evans to Ryan Burl at long-on in the sixth over, South Africa was in a spot of bother at 43 for three.
But Dewald Brevis and David Miller brought a degree of comfort to the chase by adding 50 off 25 balls for the fourth wicket. Brevis’ strokes were laced with quintessential flamboyance, smashing as many as four sixes in his 18-ball 42. While the dismissals of Miller and Brevis in quick succession added a layer of intrigue to the climax, Tristan Stubbs and George Linde ensured there were no further hiccups.
Earlier, Raza was at the front and centre of Zimbabwe’s total of 153 for seven. Even as wickets fell frequently at the other end, the 39-year-old continued to play with abandon until his dismissal in the 17th over.
Having walked in to bat when Zimbabwe was 28 for two in the fifth over, he pounced particularly when the South African pacers erred on the shorter side. He galloped to his half-century off 29 balls, but negligible support from the rest meant it was all in vain.
Published on Mar 01, 2026
