T20 World Cup, South Africa face Zimbabwe: Preview and stats
What's the story
South Africa will take on Zimbabwe in the Super 8 stage of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup. The match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. It's scheduled for a 3:00pm IST start. South Africa have been unbeaten throughout the tournament, winning all their matches so far, and have already qualified for the semi-finals. Zimbabwe lost both their clashes in the Super 8s and are eiliminated.
Team performance
Zimbabwe's journey in the tournament
Zimbabwe have had a mixed bag in the tournament. They had a solid group stage and won three of their 4 matches (NR: 1). This included wins against Sri Lanka and Australia. However, in the Super 8s Group 1, Zimbabwe lost two successive matches against West Indies and then Team India. And now, they will aim to end their tournament on a high by providing the Proteas with a stern test.
Team strategy
South Africa's dominant run and potential player rotation
South Africa have been in top form, winning all their matches so far. They have dominated the tournament with a mix of aggressive batting and disciplined bowling. However, given the match against Zimbabwe is a dead rubber for them, they might look to rest some key players ahead of the semi-finals. This could mean giving opportunities to other players who haven't had much game time in this tournament.
Team changes
Zimbabwe's struggles and potential solutions
Zimbabwe have struggled in India, losing to West Indies and India on flatter pitches. Their bowlers have conceded 250-plus totals against both teams, highlighting their struggles. Despite these challenges, they have been knocked out of contention for the semi-finals but have managed to avoid going through qualifiers for the 2028 T20 World Cup. For this match against South Africa, they might consider bringing wrist-spinner Graeme Cremer back into the team instead of medium-pacer Tinotenda Maposa.
Match conditions
Pitch report and weather conditions
The pitch at Arun Jaitley Stadium has been a good one for batting, with plenty of runs on offer. The weather is expected to be clear throughout the day, providing ideal conditions for a T20 match. South Africa's bowlers enjoyed the pace and bounce of this venue last time they played in Delhi, which could also keep Zimbabwe's tall pace pack interested.
Probable XIs
Here are the probable XIs
South Africa probable XI: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Jason Smith/David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen/Kwena Maphaka, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj/George Linde, Lungi Ngidi/Anrich Nortje. Zimbabwe probable XI: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (captain), Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava.
Stats
Player focus: Here are the stats
In 75 T20Is, SA skipper Aiden Markram has scored 1.944 runs at 32.40. He owns 14 fifties. Tristan Stubbs recently played his 50th T20I. From 41 innings, he has amassed 917 runs at 29.58. Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett has scored 1,873 runs from 57 T20Is at 36.72. He owns 12 fifties and a century. Lungi Ngidi is one wicket shy of becoming the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in T20Is. Ngidi is currently tied with Tabraiz Shamsi on 89 scalps.
Information
Here's the H2H record
The two teams have clashed 8 times in T20Is. South Africa own a 7-0 win-loss record. One game didn't have any result.