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South Africa Rest Stars vs Zimbabwe in T20 WC Super Eights Clash

Already qualified for the semi-finals, South Africa have opted to rest key players Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj for their final Super Eights match against Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and elected to bat first in the day game at Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Proteas have brought in Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje, and George Linde, giving fringe players valuable game time. Zimbabwe, aiming to end their tournament on a high, are without injured bowlers Richard Ngarava and Tashinga Musekiwa.

Key Points: SA vs ZIM T20 WC: Proteas Rotate Squad, Zimbabwe Bat First

  • SA already qualified for semi-finals
  • Proteas rest Rabada, Jansen, Maharaj
  • Zimbabwe bat first in day game
  • Zim missing Ngarava, Musekiwa to injury
  • Win guarantees SA top Group 1
2 min read

T20 WC: Maphaka, Nortje, Linde in for unbeaten SA as Zimbabwe opt to bat first

Unbeaten South Africa rest key players as Zimbabwe opt to bat in a Super Eights dead rubber. Get playing XIs and match insights.

T20 WC: Maphaka, Nortje, Linde in for unbeaten SA as Zimbabwe opt to bat first
"They've been working behind the scenes and deserve some game time. - Aiden Markram"

New Delhi, Mar 1

An unbeaten South Africa have brought in Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje and George Linde as Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first in the Super Eights clash of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.

South Africa, who have already qualified for the semi-finals, had hinted in the pre-match press conference that they would look to rest some of their mainstays, something which they did during their win over the UAE in New Delhi.

With Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj rested, a win for the Proteas here will guarantee them as Group 1 toppers. "They've been working behind the scenes and deserve some game time. This also gives us a chance to see them in action if any injuries occur going forward.

"We would have batted first as well, we've been chasing well and wanted to see how we go batting first. The drive is to continue doing what we've been doing well," said South Africa skipper Aiden Markram.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said Richard Ngarava and Tashinga Musekiwa are unavailable due to injuries, and have brought back Wellington Masakadza and Graeme Cremer into their playing eleven, as they aim to sign off from the tournament on a high.

"It's a day game and we have a few injuries, so we're going to bat, as it suits our gameplan. We've seen the reality, we have to see how we can improve and become a mid-table team in 18 months time."

Playing XIs

South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka and Lungi Ngidi

Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (captain), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Clive Madande, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer and Blessing Muzarabani

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
Feel for Zimbabwe, always the underdogs. Injuries to Ngarava and Musekiwa are a big blow. Hope they can put up a fight and end their campaign well. Raza's honesty about needing to improve is refreshing.
A
Aman W
Good to see teams rotating in a long tournament, but honestly, it takes away some excitement for a neutral fan. Wanted to see Rabada vs Raza! Hope the new players make it competitive.
S
Sarah B
The Proteas look so strong and organized. Markram's captaincy has been spot on. Interesting to see them bat first for a change. Should be a good contest if Zimbabwe's top order fires.
V
Vikram M
Watching from Mumbai! The Arun Jaitley stadium pitch has been good for batting. Zimbabwe batting first is the right call, they need to put up a big total to have any chance against SA's bowling, even with the changes.
K
Karthik V
Respect to Raza for his realistic assessment. "Become a mid-table team in 18 months" shows they have a plan. Associate nations need more consistent fixtures against top teams to improve. ICC should look into this.

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