South Africa delivered a clinical all-round performance to defeat New Zealand by seven wickets in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Group D match in Ahmedabad. The victory was shaped by Marco Jansen’s early bowling strikes and captain Aiden Markram’s unbeaten high-tempo half-century that sealed the chase with 17 balls remaining.
Match Summary
New Zealand: 175/7 – Mark Chapman 48, Daryl Mitchell 32; Marco Jansen 4/40
South Africa: 178/3 (17.1 overs) – Aiden Markram 86*, David Miller 24*
Jansen removed three key batters in the powerplay to stall New Zealand’s start while a mid-innings partnership briefly revived them before wickets in quick succession limited the total. In reply, South Africa dominated early posting 83/1 in the powerplay — effectively ending the contest. Markram’s 19-ball fifty, the fastest by a South African in T20 World Cup history, highlighted a composed yet aggressive chase.
The win maintains South Africa’s unbeaten T20 World Cup record against New Zealand (5–0) and virtually secures their Super 8 qualification while New Zealand now faces a must-win fixture to stay in contention.