Zimbabwe vs South Africa Match Scorecard – T20 & Test

South Africa’s perfect seven-win streak at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 survived a genuine test on March 1, when Zimbabwe pushed them closer than any other opponent in the Super 8 stage before falling short by five wickets at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Sikandar Raza’s all-round performance — 73 runs and 3/29 — nearly produced an upset, with Zimbabwe posting 153/7 before South Africa chased 154 to win with 13 balls remaining.

Recent T20 Score: South Africa won by 5 wkts (ZIM 153-7) · Zimbabwe Powerplay: 45/2 in 6 overs · South Africa Test Win: Innings and 236 runs

The table below consolidates match statistics across formats for quick reference.

South Africa vs Zimbabwe T20 Scorecard

The 51st Match Super Eights Group 1 fixture delivered exactly the kind of tension the tournament needed. Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, and for the first half of their innings, it looked like the right call.

Zimbabwe Innings Breakdown

Zimbabwe’s innings got off to a steady start, reaching 45/2 during the powerplay overs (0.1–6.0). That foundation didn’t hold, however, as South Africa’s bowlers tightened the screws in the middle overs. The innings folded at 153/7 in their full 20 overs.

• Sikandar Raza led the charge with 73 runs off 43 balls ESPN Cricket
• Clive Madande provided useful lower-order support with 26 runs off 20 balls ESPN Cricket
• Brad Evans contributed 1/22 in 3 overs ESPN Cricket

The catch: South Africa’s spinners strangled the run rate in overs 11–16, a phase where Zimbabwe managed only 28 runs and lost two key wickets.

South Africa Chase Details

Chasing 154, South Africa stuttered early — they were 14/2 after 2.5 overs and found themselves at 43/3 by the 5.5 over mark. The ICC’s official match centre records show the visitors were wobbling, but Ryan Rickelton’s 31 off 22 balls stabilized things before Dewald Brevis launched a counterattack.

• Ryan Rickelton: 31 off 22 balls ESPN Cricket
• Dewald Brevis: 42 off 18 balls ESPN Cricket
• South Africa reached 93/4 at the 10-over mark ICC Cricket Official
• SA finished 154/5 in 17.5 overs with 13 balls remaining ESPN Cricket

South Africa completed the chase with 13 balls to spare, extending their perfect record to 7 wins from 7 matches at the tournament FlashScore.

Zimbabwe vs South Africa Today Match Live

For fans tracking the live action on March 1, 2026, the match offered drama in two distinct phases. Zimbabwe’s bowlers kept finding edges and lbw appeals throughout the powerplay, while South Africa’s batters struggled to middle the ball on a pitch that offered unexpected turn.

Match Summary

• Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
• Match: 51st Match Super Eights Group 1
• Result: South Africa won by 5 wickets
• Man of the Match: Sikandar Raza (73 runs + 3/29) NDTV Sports

Key Moments

• Powerplay collapse: South Africa 14/2 after 2.5 overs ICC Cricket Official
• Raza’s burst: 3/29 in 4 overs including the wicket of Reeza Hendricks
• Brevis counterattack: 42 off 18 balls turned the chase
• Final flourish: SA 101/5 at 10.4 overs, then accelerated to victory

What this means: South Africa’s habit of losing early wickets is becoming a pattern they can’t afford against top-tier semifinal opponents.

South Africa vs Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2026

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2025-26 has been defined by South Africa’s methodical dominance — but Zimbabwe proved that even the most clinical sides can be pushed. This was no minor upset attempt; Zimbabwe genuinely had South Africa on the ropes at 43/3 in the 6th over.

Super 8 Group 1

• South Africa topped Group 1 after the victory FlashScore
• Zimbabwe qualified for the Super 8 stage — their first appearance at this stage since 2022
• Sikandar Raza named Player of the Match NDTV Sports

Full Scorecard

The innings breakdown shows Zimbabwe’s competitive total against South Africa’s clinical chase.

Following this win, South Africa faced New Zealand in the first semi-final on Wednesday in Kolkata ESPN Cricket, having already beaten New Zealand by 7 wickets on February 14, 2026 in the group stage FlashScore.

Zimbabwe National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Stats

Beyond this single fixture lies a lopsided historical record that makes Zimbabwe’s competitiveness in this match even more noteworthy.

Head-to-Head

The aggregate records reveal South Africa’s overwhelming dominance across all formats against Zimbabwe.

Crex Cricket’s records confirm South Africa has never lost a T20I to Zimbabwe across 8 meetings, with 7 SA wins and 1 no result Crex Cricket.

Recent Form

• Highest ZIM vs SA T20I total: 194/6 by South Africa on October 10, 2010 at Kimberley Crex Cricket
• Most runs vs Zimbabwe: Jean-Paul Duminy with 164 runs in 4 matches at a 160.78 strike rate Crex Cricket
• Most wickets vs Zimbabwe: Lungi Ngidi with 7 wickets in 5 matches at 6.29 economy Crex Cricket
• SA 335/6 beat ZIM 290/9 in ODI, 4 days before the T20 clash

The pattern: South Africa wins comfortably on aggregate, but individual Zimbabwe performances — Raza’s 73, Madande’s 26 — suggest the gap is narrowing in T20 format.

South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test

While the T20 World Cup captured recent attention, the most dominant chapter in this rivalry came in Test cricket, where South Africa romped to an innings-and-236-runs victory. For the latest cricket scores and results, including Australia vs South Africa scores, you can visit the dedicated page.

Bulawayo Test Scorecard

The Bulawayo innings data demonstrates the significant class difference between the two nations in the longest format.

The implication: 626/5 declared is among the highest totals South Africa has ever posted against any opponent, turning Bulawayo into a graveyard for Zimbabwe’s batting ambitions.

Innings Details

• South Africa declared at 626/5, prioritizing time over additional runs
• Zimbabwe’s combined total (390) still fell 236 runs short of SA’s first innings
• SA won by innings and 236 runs — their largest margin against Zimbabwe in recent memory

What this means: The Test format exposes the widest gulf between the two nations, while T20 cricket offers Zimbabwe their best chance at competitive fixtures.

Quotes

Powerplay: Overs 0.1–6.0 (Mandatory) — 45 runs, 2 wickets.

ESPNcricinfo match commentary

Sikandar Raza was named Player of the Match for his performance of 73 runs and 3/29.

NDTV Sports match report

Summary

For South Africa’s title ambitions, the chase against Zimbabwe exposed a vulnerability that New Zealand will target in Kolkata. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, exit the 2026 tournament with their heads held high — Raza’s Player of the Match performance and a genuine competitive showing against the tournament’s form team prove the program has turned a corner.

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South Africa chased down Zimbabwe’s total for a five-wicket win in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s at Delhi, as captured in the match summary scores stats.

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