South Africa went to the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup undefeated after brushing UAE aside in Delhi by six wickets with 40 balls to spare on February 18, 2026. Corbin Bosch’s three-for and George Linde’s 1 for 17 stood out with the ball as South Africa rested Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi. Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis all got fast starts in a chase that required just that. UAE could not make a dent in their final game of the tournament. Alishan Sharafu top-scored with 45 in an innings where six of the eight batters on show scored 13 or fewer.
Table of Contents
Match Summary
South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first on what captain Markram called a tacky pitch in Delhi. Having already secured their place in the Super Eight, South Africa made four changes, bringing in Jason Smith, Kwena Maphaka and Anrich Nortje for their first games of the tournament, and also brought George Linde back. They left out David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi. Muhammad Waseem’s intent was clear from the start when he drove Maphaka for four down the ground. He hit three boundaries off Kagiso Rabada to start the third over, making room and going down the ground twice and then helping one down to fine leg.
South Africa’s pacers worked out their lengths early and stuck to them well on the tacky surface. They bowled 46 balls on a short or short-of-good-length spot and conceded just 41 runs and took four wickets with those. Bosch bowled across all phases and took a three-for. Nortje conceded 18 in his first two overs but came back sharply with wickets in his back two. UAE finished on 122 for 6. In the chase, South Africa smashed 11 boundaries and a six in a 58-run powerplay, and won with 40 balls to spare.
Match Scorecard
| Team | Score | Overs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | 122/6 | 20.0 | — |
| South Africa | 123/4 | 13.2 | Won by 6 wickets (40 balls remaining) |
Player of the Match: Corbin Bosch (3 for 12) Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Date: February 18, 2026 Toss: South Africa won; elected to bowl Pitch: Tacky surface South Africa changes: Jason Smith, Maphaka, Nortje (first games); Linde back; Miller, Jansen, Maharaj, Ngidi rested UAE changes: Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Farooq in for Syed Haider, Simranjeet Singh South Africa’s Super Eights: Unbeaten; perfect record
First Innings: UAE’s Batting (122/6 in 20 Overs)
Waseem Shows Intent — Three Boundaries Off Rabada
Muhammad Waseem’s intent was clear from the start when he drove Kwena Maphaka for four down the ground. He hit three boundaries off Kagiso Rabada to start the third over, making room and going down the ground twice and then helping one down to fine leg.
UAE Batting — Early Phase
| Phase | Score | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Start | — | Waseem drove Maphaka for four down ground |
| 3rd over | — | Waseem three boundaries off Rabada (making room, down ground twice, fine leg) |
South Africa Pacers Dominate — 46 Balls Short
On a tacky surface in Delhi, South Africa’s pacers worked out their lengths early and stuck to them well. They bowled 46 balls on a short or short-of-good-length spot and conceded just 41 runs and took four wickets with those. The death overs also had a lot of short balls, with some cutters thrown in, and UAE made just 20 runs and lost two wickets in that period.
Bosch bowled across all phases, took a three-for, and was the most economical bowler. He had Aryansh Sharma and Muhammad Arfan pull to midwicket, and got rising bounce to get Sohaib Khan nicking to the keeper. Nortje conceded 18 in his first two overs but came back sharply with the wickets of Syed Haider and Sharafu in his back two, both of them with into-the-pitch balls that were pulled to fielders. Linde had a great day in Maharaj’s absence too.
UAE Batting Performance
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muhammad Waseem (c) | — | — | Drove Maphaka for four down ground; three boundaries off Rabada (making room, down ground twice, fine leg) |
| Aryansh Sharma (wk) | — | — | Pulled to midwicket off Bosch |
| Alishan Sharafu | 45 | — | Top-scored; into-the-pitch ball pulled to fielder off Nortje |
| Sohaib Khan | — | — | Rising bounce, nicked to keeper off Bosch |
| Muhammad Arfan | 11 | 18 | Pulled to midwicket off Bosch |
| Syed Haider | — | — | Into-the-pitch ball pulled to fielder off Nortje |
Six of eight batters: Scored 13 or fewer
South Africa Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Runs | Wickets | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corbin Bosch | 12 | 3 | Bowled across all phases; most economical; Sharma + Arfan (pull to midwicket), Khan (rising bounce, nick to keeper) |
| George Linde | 17 | 1 | Great day in Maharaj’s absence |
| Anrich Nortje | 28 | 2 | 18 in first two overs; came back sharply with Haider + Sharafu in back two (both into-the-pitch balls pulled to fielders) |
| Kagiso Rabada | — | 0 | Waseem three boundaries off him (3rd over) |
| Kwena Maphaka | — | 0 | First game of tournament; Waseem drove for four down ground |
SA pacers: 46 balls short/short-of-good-length; 41 runs, 4 wickets Death overs: Short balls + cutters; UAE 20 runs, 2 wickets
Second Innings: South Africa’s Chase (123/4 in 13.2 Overs)
Rapid Start — 58-Run Powerplay
It was a rapid start for South Africa as they smashed 11 boundaries and a six in a 58-run powerplay. They lost de Kock and Markram in the process, but the damage had been done. De Kock cut a short-and-wide ball to deep backward point. That was after he and Rickelton dined on some off-side boundaries, especially with the bowlers going short and wide.
There was no scoreboard pressure, so the openers saw off the offspin of Parashar in the first over and latched onto the pace from Siddique in the second. Three fours, two of them flicks from Markram, and one a pull from de Kock.
South Africa Chase — Powerplay
| Phase | Score | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| 1st over | — | Openers saw off Parashar offspin |
| 2nd over | — | Latched onto Siddique pace; three fours (two Markram flicks, one de Kock pull) |
| Powerplay | 58/2 | 11 boundaries, 1 six; de Kock cut short-and-wide to deep backward point; Markram out |
Rickelton and Brevis Finish Job
New batters Ryan Rickelton (30) and Dewald Brevis (36) then combined in a fluent and brisk stand that stitched together a 49-run partnership for the third wicket to steer South Africa close to the target. They lost Brevis, who top-edged a pull to mid-off, but the job was done in style as South Africa won with 40 balls to go. The winning run came off Jason Smith’s bat as he helped the ball fine with a pull.
South Africa Batting Performance
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram (c) | 28 | 11 | Fast start; two flicks for four (2nd over) |
| Quinton de Kock (wk) | — | — | Pull for four (2nd over); cut short-and-wide to deep backward point |
| Ryan Rickelton | 30 | — | 49-run partnership with Brevis for 3rd wicket; fluent and brisk |
| Dewald Brevis | 36 | 25 | 49-run partnership with Rickelton; top-edged pull to mid-off |
| Jason Smith | — | — | First game of tournament; winning run (helped fine with pull) |
Powerplay: 58/2 (11 boundaries, 1 six)
UAE Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Runs | Wickets | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muhammad Arfan | 16 | 1 | — |
| Dhruv Parashar | — | 0 | Offspin; openers saw off in 1st over |
| Junaid Siddique | — | 0 | Latched onto pace (2nd over); three fours conceded |
| Haider Ali | — | 1 | Markram |
Four bowlers: Took a wicket each; none threatened South Africa in modest chase
Match-Winning Performances
Corbin Bosch — Player of the Match
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bowling | 3 for 12 in 4 overs |
| Economy | Most economical bowler |
| Phases | Bowled across all phases |
| Key wickets | Sharma (pull to midwicket); Arfan (pull to midwicket); Khan (rising bounce, nick to keeper) |
| Post-match | “Kept it nice and simple. There was some nip early on, we communicated fanatically and that made my life easy. I’ve got great guys that I can learn from, spent some time to see what the batters were doing and made plans accordingly.” |
South Africa’s Pacers
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Lengths | 46 balls short/short-of-good-length |
| Impact | 41 runs, 4 wickets on those balls |
| Death overs | Short balls + cutters; UAE 20 runs, 2 wickets |
| Bosch | 3/12 across all phases |
| Nortje | 18 in first two overs; came back with 2 wickets in back two (into-the-pitch balls) |
| Linde | 1/17; great day in Maharaj’s absence |
South Africa’s Fast Starts
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Powerplay | 58/2 (11 boundaries, 1 six) |
| Markram | 28 off 11 balls |
| Rickelton | 30; 49-run stand with Brevis |
| Brevis | 36 off 25; 49-run stand with Rickelton |
| Finish | 40 balls to spare |
Read More: T20 World Cup 2026: Farhan’s 100 and Spin Sink Namibia as Pakistan Qualify for Super Eights
FAQs
What was the result of South Africa vs UAE at T20 World Cup 2026?
South Africa won by 6 wickets with 40 balls remaining — UAE posted 122/6 and South Africa chased it down with 123/4 in 13.2 overs in Delhi.
How did Corbin Bosch perform in the match?
Bosch took 3 for 12 in 4 overs, dismissing Sharma and Arfan (both pulled to midwicket) and Khan (rising bounce, nicked to keeper) as the most economical bowler.
Did South Africa qualify for the Super Eights unbeaten?
Yes. South Africa went to the Super Eight undefeated with a perfect record after brushing UAE aside by six wickets.
Which South Africa players got their first games of the tournament?
Jason Smith, Kwena Maphaka and Anrich Nortje played their first games, while South Africa rested Miller, Jansen, Maharaj and Ngidi.
Which teams are in South Africa’s Super Eights group?
South Africa are in Group 1 of the Super Eights alongside India, Zimbabwe and West Indies.
