Zimbabwe vs South Africa — South Africa won by 5 wickets (with 13 balls remaining)

Sikandar Raza did everything he could. A captain’s innings of 73 off 43 – the best individual knock of the match by a country mile – gave Zimbabwe something to defend at Arun Jaitley Stadium on March 1. But South Africa’s batting depth was always going to be the problem, and Dewald Brevis settled it before the 11th over.

South Africa won by 5 wickets with 13 balls remaining, chasing down Zimbabwe’s 153/7 to book their place in the T20 Cricket World Cup 2026 knockout stages. It was a comprehensive win in the end, despite some early wobbles that gave Zimbabwe a sniff.

Zimbabwe struggle early, Raza rescues

Zimbabwe chose to bat after winning the toss but found themselves in trouble early. Tadiwanashe Marumani fell for 7 in the second over, bowled by a sharp Kwena Maphaka delivery. Brian Bennett contributed 15 before picking out Markram off Nortje, and Dion Myers added just 11 before George Linde had him caught at short extra cover.

At 48/3 inside nine overs, Zimbabwe needed a rescue act – and Raza delivered one. The captain came to the crease and attacked from the off, using his wrists to find the boundary repeatedly. He hit 8 fours and 4 sixes in his 43-ball 73, a strike rate of 169.77 that took Zimbabwe into the 120s before he was finally caught by David Miller off Maphaka in the 17th over.

Without Raza, Zimbabwe posted 153/7 from their 20 overs. A below-par total at this ground, but not without hope given the pitch was offering some variable bounce. Kwena Maphaka was the pick of the SA bowlers – 2/21 from 4 overs at an economy of 5.25.

Early SA collapse gives Zimbabwe life

For a moment, it looked like the chase might get interesting. Aiden Markram was bowled for 4 in the first over by Sikandar Raza, and Quinton de Kock fell for a second-ball duck, caught at the wicket. At 14/2 with two overs gone, Zimbabwe had the crowd buzzing.

But Ryan Rickelton steadied things – 31 off 22 including four sixes – before Dewald Brevis came in and tore the chase apart. The young right-hander smashed 42 off just 18 balls at a strike rate of 233, finding the boundary at will. He was eventually caught for Raza’s third wicket, but by then the game was gone from Zimbabwe’s hands.

David Miller (22 off 16) kept things ticking and Tristan Stubbs (21* off 24) and George Linde (30* off 21) saw South Africa home without drama. India won by 5 wickets with 2.1 overs to spare.

Statz Ratings

The Statz Rating system – which measures combined batting and bowling impact across the full match context – ranked Sikandar Raza as the standout performer with a score of 85.0. Despite being on the losing side, his batting brilliance earned him a comfortable top spot. Kwena Maphaka was second at 43.9, Dewald Brevis third at 41.2 and George Linde fourth at 37.1.

No South Africa batter earned more than 21.5 (Ryan Rickelton) in the ratings – a reflection of how straightforward the chase was despite the early wickets. Raza’s 85.0 on the losing side tells the whole story of this match.

Key performances

• Sikandar Raza (ZIM): 73 off 43 (8×4, 4×6), 3/29 from 4 overs – Statz Rating: 85.0
• Dewald Brevis (SA): 42 off 18 (2×4, 4×6) – Statz Rating: 41.2
• Kwena Maphaka (SA): 2/21 from 4 overs – Statz Rating: 43.9

Full scorecard and Statz Ratings: statz.ai/cricket/fixtures/68558/zimbabwe-vs-south-africa/scorecard