South Africa moved to the top of Group D in the T20 World Cup 2026 with a dominant seven wicket win over New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Chasing 176, South Africa reached 178 for 3 in 17.1 overs to register their third straight victory in the tournament.
The win puts South Africa on the brink of qualifying for the Super Eight stage, while New Zealand suffered their first defeat of the campaign.
Jansen Four Wickets Restrict New Zealand To 175
After choosing to bowl first, South Africa struck early through Marco Jansen. The left-arm pacer removed Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra before dismissing Finn Allen for 31 to reduce New Zealand to 58 for 3 inside seven overs.
Keshav Maharaj added to the pressure by dismissing Glenn Phillips as New Zealand slipped to 64 for 4.
Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell rebuilt the innings with a 74-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Chapman scored 48 off 26 balls while Mitchell made 32 off 24 balls to take the score past 130.
Jansen returned to break the stand and finished with impressive figures of 4 for 40. New Zealand struggled in the death overs and managed 175 for 7 in 20 overs. James Neesham remained unbeaten on 23 to help them reach a competitive total.
Markram Leads Aggressive Chase
South Africa started strongly with captain Aiden Markram attacking from the first over. Along with Quinton de Kock, he powered the team to 62 without loss in just four overs.
De Kock scored 20 before falling, but Markram continued his aggressive approach. He reached his half-century quickly and kept the run rate under control throughout the chase.
Ryan Rickelton added 21 while David Miller remained unbeaten on 24 to support the captain. Markram finished on 86 not out off 44 balls with four sixes and eight fours, the highest score by a South African captain in T20 World Cup history.
With the required rate falling steadily, South Africa completed the chase with 17 balls remaining.
This result strengthens South Africa’s position at the top of Group D with three wins from three matches. New Zealand will look to bounce back in their next fixture as the race for the Super Eight spots continues.
