Raza's lone brilliance not enough as South Africa head into semis unbeaten

Sikandar Raza produced one of the finest all-round displays of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, but South Africa overcame a mid-innings wobble to seal a five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in their final Super Eights fixture at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. The Proteas chased down 154 in 17.5 overs to carry their unbeaten run into the semifinal against New Zealand in Kolkata.

Zimbabwe, who had topped their group in the league stage, ended the Super Eights without a win.

Raza scripts rare all-round feat

Batting first, Zimbabwe managed 153 for seven, with Raza standing tall amid a faltering line-up. The captain struck a fluent 73 off 43 balls, reaching his half-century in just 29 deliveries. He found boundaries and sixes at will while wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end. 

Raza’s innings stood in sharp contrast to his team-mates’ struggles against South Africa’s pace attack. Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi kept the pressure on, even with Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj rested for the inconsequential fixture.

Openers Tadiwanashe Marumani (7) and Brian Bennett (15) made starts but could not convert. Marumani lost his leg stump attempting an expansive stroke off Maphaka, while Bennett failed to clear the infield against Nortje.

Raza, however, counter-attacked. He pulled Corbin Bosch for six and struck consecutive boundaries in the sixth over to lift Zimbabwe to 45 for two in the powerplay. He later backed away to drive Nortje past mid-off before launching a flat six over deep mid-wicket, underlining his dominance.

His effort placed him in elite company.

50-plus and 3-plus wickets in a T20 World Cup match
Player	Figures	Venue	Year
Dwayne Bravo	66* & 4/38	Lord’s	2009
Shane Watson	51 & 3/26	Colombo	2012
Shane Watson	72 & 3/34	Colombo	2012
Marcus Stoinis	67* & 3/19	Bridgetown	2024
Roston Chase	52 & 3/12	North Sound	2024
Sikandar Raza	73 & 3/29	Delhi	2026

Raza is the first captain to achieve the double of a fifty-plus score and three or more wickets in a T20 World Cup match.

Despite his heroics, Zimbabwe’s total proved below par.

South Africa wobble but recover

South Africa’s chase began nervously. Raza struck twice in his first two overs, removing Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock in the powerplay. When he returned to dismiss Dewald Brevis — who had smashed 42 off 18 balls — the Proteas were reduced to 101 for five in the 11th over.

With 53 runs still required and the pitch offering uneven bounce, the pressure mounted. However, Tristan Stubbs (21 not out off 24 balls) and George Linde (31 not out off 21 balls) steadied the innings to complete the chase with 13 balls to spare.

Earlier, Brevis and David Miller had revived South Africa after early setbacks with a flurry of boundaries, shifting momentum briefly away from Zimbabwe.

Muzarabani’s short-ball impact

While Raza grabbed headlines, Blessing Muzarabani’s use of the short ball has been a standout feature of Zimbabwe’s campaign.

Muzarabani in T20 WC 2026 (by lengths)
Length	Wickets/Runs	Balls	Economy Rate
Full (<6m)	2/37	20	10.1
Good (6–8m)	1/38	41	5.56
Hard (8–10m)	7/68	60	6.8
Bouncer (10m+)	3/41	23	10.69

He has claimed 10 wickets pitching the ball short (8m-plus), the most in this edition. The next best is Jofra Archer with seven.

Six-hitting surge defines 2026 edition

The tournament has also been marked by aggressive strokeplay.

Most sixes in a T20 World Cup edition
Team	Sixes	Balls per six
West Indies (2026)	66	10.5
India (2026)	63	11.33
South Africa (2026)	62	12.16
West Indies (2024)	62	12.65
India (2024)	61	14.8

South Africa’s ability to absorb pressure and respond with controlled hitting has underpinned their unbeaten run.

Markram climbs captaincy charts

The win further enhanced Aiden Markram’s leadership record.

Most wins as captain in Men’s T20 World Cup*
Captain	Wins	Matches
MS Dhoni	21	33
Aiden Markram	15	16
Kane Williamson	14	21
Rohit Sharma	12	14
Daren Sammy	12	18
Dasun Shanaka	12	23
*Including Super Over/Bowl Out wins

Markram’s 15 victories in just 16 matches underline South Africa’s consistency in recent ICC events.