Former England captain Michael Vaughan has mercilessly trolled South Africa after the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 concluded on March 8. The cricketer turned commentator termed the formidable Proteas team as the dumbest team of the tournament, and said that they failed to defeat the Indian team.
South Africa reached the knockout stage by remaining undefeated in the group stage and Super 8. However, the Proteas suffered a humiliating defeat against New Zealand in the semi-finals. The Kiwi team, led by Mitchell Santner, defeated them by nine wickets in the match held at the prestigious Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on March 4.
South Africa were the stupidest team of the tournament – Michael Vaughan
In a video shared on The Overlap Cricket YouTube channel, Michael Vaughan said that South Africa missed a golden opportunity to eliminate the Indian team early. Vaughan said that the Proteas team should have deliberately lost the match against West Indies to stop the Indian team.
Michael Vaughan said, “I think South Africa were the stupidest team of the tournament. Because if South Africa had let West Indies beat them in the Super 8, India would have been out. I’m just saying that if they had let them out, the juggernaut that was coming would have stopped.”
The best way is to eliminate the best team early – Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan said that South Africa’s win against West Indies helped India reach the semi-finals. He also revealed that South Africa’s next match was against Zimbabwe. Vaughan said that sometimes eliminating the strongest opponents early can be the best way to win the World Cup.
Vaughan said, “By winning that game, they allowed their juggernaut to move forward. India then beat Zimbabwe, then West Indies in the quarter-finals and then England. South Africa had to play Zimbabwe next and they also rested three players for that match.”
“Look, these things shouldn’t happen and usually don’t happen. I’m just saying that if you want to win the World Cup, the best way is to eliminate the best team early,” he said.
India beats West Indies in Super 8 thriller; New Zealand beat South Africa in the semi-finals
The Indian team achieved a thrilling victory over West Indies by five wickets in the Super 8 match. Sanju Samson played an incredible unbeaten inning of 97 runs to help the team achieve the mammoth target of 196 runs with four balls to spare. Meanwhile, South Africa defeated Zimbabwe in a closely contested match.
In the semi-finals, Marco Jansen scored a half-century which helped South Africa post a total of 169/8. Matt Henry, Cole McConchie and Rachin Ravindra took two important wickets each. In reply, openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert made a explosive partnership.
The opening pair made a huge partnership of 117 runs in just 9.1 overs. Finn Allen scored a sensational century in 33 balls and took his team to the finishing line in just 12.5 overs. However, the Black Caps lost the final against India, where they were bowled out for 159 while chasing 255.
Also Read: Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka series gets new dates after being canceled due to West Asia war