South Africa skipper Aiden Markram praised his squad's depth and bowlers' execution after defeating UAE. The win marked their fourth straight victory, securing the top spot in Group D and setting up a Super 8 clash with India on February 22.
South Africa skipper Aiden Markram said the win over UAE showed the whole squad's depth players who'd been grinding for chances grabbed them, and the bowlers nailed their plans on a tricky pitch, giving the team confidence that everyone in the 15-man squad is in a good space. He added that the break before the first Super 8 match is a welcome chance for the boys to relax and regroup.
Proteas maintained their perfect record in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 as they registered their fourth consecutive victory in the group stage, defeating the United Arab Emirates by six wickets at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday. With this victory, South Africa tops Group D, having overcome New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada and now the UAE. They will face the tournament favourites India in their first game of the Super 8s on February 22.
'Each Guy in the 15 is in a Good Space'
"That's what it was about. It was great to see the boys who came in and have been working hard for an opportunity with both hands. I thought the bowling unit, once again, was really good at executing plans on that wicket. A lot of confidence for us as a group to know that each guy in the 15 is in a good space. I think fortunately we've got a little bit of time before that first Super 8 game, which is obviously a great thing for the boys to be able to switch off for a little bit and then regroup," Markram said after the match.
Player of the Match: Corbin Bosch
Corbin Bosch was the standout performer for the Proteas in the clash as he grabbed three wickets in four overs while giving away just 12 runs. For his lethal bowling, he was awarded Player of the match.
'Kept it Nice and Simple'
Bosch noted his Player-of-the-Match performance was all about keeping it simple as he read the pitch, used the early nip, and leaned on great communication with his fellow bowlers, which made his job easy. "That was pretty basic today to keep it nice and simple. I think the wicket set itself what we had to do. I think there was some nip early on, and we communicated fantastically as bowlers, so it made my life easier. Yeah, I think, as I said, I've got great guys in front of me that I can learn from, and it just gives me a bit of time to watch what the batters are doing and how our bowlers are bowling, so I can formulate plans through doing that," Bosch said after the match. (ANI)
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