South Africa head into the 34th match of the 2026 T20 World Cup full of confidence. In their previous game they won by seven wickets against New Zealand after choosing to field, limiting the Black Caps to 175 all out. Marco Jansen took 4 for 40 and Keshav Maharaj added 1 for 24, with Lungi Ngidi and Corbin Bosch also among the wickets.
The chase was led by captain Aiden Markram, who finished unbeaten on 86 from 44 balls with eight fours and four sixes. David Miller stayed not out on 24, Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis made 21 each and Quinton de Kock chipped in with 20 as the target was reached in 17.1 overs.
The United Arab Emirates arrive after a five-wicket defeat to Afghanistan. Batting first after losing the toss, they made 160 all out, with Sohaib Khan top-scoring on 68 from 48 balls and Alishan Sharafu adding 40 from 31. Skipper Muhammad Waseem managed only 10.
With the ball, Junaid Siddique returned 2 for 23 and Muhammad Arfan took two wickets for 30, but the total was reached with 4 balls to spare. To trouble South Africa the UAE will need an early breakthrough and a more complete batting effort.
