New Delhi, Feb 28 (NationPress) South Africa aims to prolong their undefeated streak in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup as they face Zimbabwe in their concluding Super Eights match, set to take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Proteas have showcased remarkable form throughout the tournament, securing victories in all six encounters while boasting a run rate of 10, the highest among all teams. A win against Zimbabwe would mark their seventh consecutive victory, equating to their second-best unbeaten run in T20 history.

Under the leadership of Captain Aiden Markram, South Africa's success has been driven by his impressive tally of 264 runs at a strike rate of 178 over six innings, which includes three half-centuries. His powerplay strike rate of 200 leads all batters who have faced over 50 balls in this tournament.

Markram is on the verge of breaking the record for the most runs by a captain in a single T20 World Cup edition, currently held by Pakistan’s Babar Azam, who scored 303 runs in 2021. With valuable contributions from Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, South Africa’s batting lineup averages 42.1, only marginally trailing Zimbabwe’s 44.8.

South Africa's batsmen have been the most proficient against spin in this tournament, scoring at a rate of 9.9 runs per over against spin bowlers, the best statistics of any team this edition. Except for de Kock and David Miller, nearly all of South Africa's batsmen have maintained a strike rate exceeding 140 against spinners. This poses a significant challenge for Zimbabwe's captain Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl, who are primarily responsible for their spin-bowling duties.

In addition to their formidable batting, South Africa's pace attack has been exceptional, claiming 37 wickets—the highest of any team in this tournament. Lungi Ngidi stands out with 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.8, needing just one more wicket to become South Africa's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is, surpassing left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi's tally of 89 wickets.

Alongside Ngidi, Marco Jansen has also been a potent force, matching Ngidi’s 11 wickets with a best performance of 4-22. Pace leader Kagiso Rabada has shown significant improvement, with his economy rate decreasing from 10.2 in the first two matches to 6.9 in the subsequent four.

On the other hand, Zimbabwe, already out of the tournament, will strive to leave a positive mark. Their campaign included notable victories against Sri Lanka and Australia, allowing them to top Group B before suffering heavy defeats against West Indies and India in the Super Eights.

Despite heading home after Sunday’s match, Zimbabwe's campaign has been highlighted by the impressive emergence of opener Brian Bennett. The right-handed batsman has tallied 277 runs in five innings, with only one dismissal, resulting in a remarkable average of 277.

Bennett will look to capitalize on the favorable batting conditions in New Delhi, needing 43 more runs to eclipse Virat Kohli's record of 319 runs in a single T20 World Cup campaign. Another half-century would also position him as only the fifth batter in history to notch four fifties in a single edition, joining Kohli, Azam, and Matthew Hayden.

However, Bennett has not received much backing from his teammates, and Zimbabwe will hope for a collective effort. In the bowling department, they enjoyed success during the league stages with an economy rate of 7.2. However, after conceding totals exceeding 250 in consecutive matches against West Indies and India, improving their bowling performance remains a priority.

The Arun Jaitley Stadium has favored the side batting second in this tournament, with four out of five matches won by the chasing team. South Africa boasts a flawless record at this venue, having defeated the UAE in their final Group D match and holding a dominant 7-1 head-to-head advantage over Zimbabwe.

For South Africa, the motivation to win on Sunday is immense—another victory would propel them into the knockout stage with an undefeated record. For Zimbabwe, it’s an opportunity to conclude their memorable World Cup journey on a high note, despite recent setbacks.

When: Sunday, March 1, 3:00 PM IST

Where: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi

Where to watch: Star Sports Network for live TV and JioHotstar for streaming

Squads

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wk), Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Jason Smith, and Tristan Stubbs

Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Ben Curran, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, and Richard Ngarava