South Africa put in an impressive performance to defeat united arab emirates Defeated by six wickets in the 34th match of Group D ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. After electing to bowl first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Proteas restricted UAE to a modest score of 122/6 before chasing down the target in just 13.2 overs thanks to an explosive performance from the top order. Corbin Bosch Emerging as the undisputed hero of the night with a sensational spell that broke the backbone of the UAE innings.
Corbin Bosch leads disciplined bowling effort for Proteas
South Africa’s decision to field first paid immediate dividends as their bowlers maintained constant pressure from the start. Whereas Kagiso Rabada And quena mafaka He didn’t get any wickets, but he kept things tight enough to deny UAE the early momentum.
Enrique Nortje He struck twice in his four-over spell, giving away 28 runs and destabilizing the middle order with his pace. However, it was Corbyn Bosch who grabbed the headlines. The all-rounder delivered a match-defining spell of 3/12 from four overs, demolishing the UAE lower order and ensuring the total never got out of hand. His accuracy and clever variations proved too much for the batsmen on a slightly slower surface. George Linde Playing his part with an economical 1/17, further reducing the scoring chances during the middle overs.
Alishan Sharafu’s solitary resistance takes UAE to 122
Batting first, UAE struggled to build a sustained partnership. Wasim Muhammad He played a quick inning of 22 runs in 12 balls with the help of four fours. However, wickets at regular intervals prevented them from taking advantage of the powerplay.
Alishan Sharafu He stood tall despite the collapse and scored 45 runs in 38 balls including five fours and a six. He tried to handle the innings, but did not get enough support from the other end. Aryansh Sharma 13 runs were scored, while the middle and lower order failed to accelerate, leaving UAE at a lowly 122/6 in their 20 overs.
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Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton set direction for the chase
South Africa started chasing the target with aggressive intentions. captain aiden markram He performed brilliantly and scored 28 runs in just 11 balls with the help of five fours and a six and immediately put UAE on the backfoot. Although quinton de kock Fell down after waiting for a while, Ryan Rickelton This ensured that the pace never slowed down.
Rickelton played a stormy inning of 30 runs in 16 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes. dewald brevis Then he completed the finals by playing a simple but powerful innings of 36 runs in 25 balls and crossed the hurdles thrice.
Despite taking four wickets, the UAE bowlers never panicked. Haider Ali, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Arfan And Muhammad Farooq Both took one wicket each, but the target proved too small to defend.
South Africa made it four out of four and entered the Super 8s undefeated.#SAvsUAE #T20WorldCup2026
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/pLSV3QNZ8s pic.twitter.com/j04hmJKLoK– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 18 February 2026
Also read: Explained: Which teams will India face in the Super 8 of T20 World Cup 2026?
