In a thrilling encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, South Africa clinched a comfortable six-wicket victory over UAE in the 34th match of the T20 World Cup 2026. The standout performer was pacer Anrich Nortje, who delivered a fiery spell of 4 overs for 28 runs and claimed 2 crucial wickets. This performance propelled him to the second spot among the highest wicket-taking fast bowlers in T20 World Cup history.
Nortje has now scalped 37 wickets in just 20 T20 World Cup matches since 2021, trailing only former Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga, who tops the chart with 38 wickets from 31 games. With South Africa advancing to the Super-8 stage where they will play three more matches, Nortje has a golden opportunity to surpass Malinga and claim the top position.
The list of top fast bowlers reads impressively: Australia’s Tim Southee holds third place with 36 wickets in 25 matches, followed by Pakistan’s Umar Gul with 35 wickets in 24 games, and New Zealand’s Trent Boult rounds out the top five with 34 wickets from 18 outings.
Earlier, UAE, invited to bat after losing the toss, struggled to post a competitive total. They were bowled out for 122 in their 20 overs, losing 6 wickets in the process. Ali Shan Sharfu fought valiantly with 45 runs off 38 balls, including five fours and a six, but lacked support from the rest of the batting lineup. Aryan Sharma chipped in with 13, while Mohammad Waseem made 22 off 12 balls.
South Africa’s bowling attack was led by Corbin Bosch, who grabbed 3 wickets, with Nortje adding 2 and George Linde chipping in with one. In reply, the Proteas chased down the target in just 13.2 overs. Dewald Brevis smashed 36 off 25 balls, captain Aiden Markram scored 28, and Ryan Rickelton contributed 30 to seal a convincing win. UAE’s bowlers Haider Ali, Mohammad Javadullah, Mohammad Arfan, and Mohammad Farooq picked up one wicket each.