New Zealand vs South Africa head-to-head in T20Is: Who holds the edge in T20 World Cups? All you need to know

New Zealand are facing South Africa at the T20 World Cup stage after 12 years. So far both teams have met only four times in the shortest format at the global stage.

Koushik Paul
Updated14 Feb 2026, 07:42 PM IST
South Africa's captain Aiden Markram (L) and New Zealand's captain Mitchel Santner.
South Africa's captain Aiden Markram (L) and New Zealand's captain Mitchel Santner.(AP)

New Zealand are taking on South Africa in one of the most crucial Group D clash of the T20 World Cup 2026. With two wins each from their two games so far in the tournament, both teams walked out at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in a clash of table-toppers.

The winner of the match between New Zealand and South Africa will ease into the Super 8 stage with six points. United Arab Emirates (UAE) are placed third with two points while Afghanistan and Canada are yet to open their accounts. The top two teams from each group will advance into Super 8.

Also Read | NZ vs SA T20 World Cup LIVE Score: Ravindra, Allen depart, 58/3 after 6 overs

The Kiwis are coming after decimating Afghanistan and UAE in their first two games. On the other hand, South Africa defeated Canada before surviving an Afghanistan scare in a double Super Over at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad earlier this week.

As far as the rivalry is concerned, South Africa enjoy a 11-7 record against New Zealand in the shortest format since 2005. In the T20 World Cup, New Zealand have not won any game against South Africa in their four appearances so far. The teams first met at a T20 World Cup in 2007. In fact, New Zealand are meeting South Africa at a T20 World Cup after 12 years.

NZ vs SA head-to-head in T20 World Cup

YearMarginResultVenue
20076 wicketsSouth Africa winDurban
20091 runSouth Africa winLord's
201013 runsSouth Africa winBridgetown
20142 runsSouth Africa winChattogram
2026TBDTBDAhmedabad

On Saturday, South African captain Aiden Markram has won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Proteas made one change bringing in seamer Corbin Bosch in place of George Linde, while New Zealand remain unchanged.

Also Read | IND vs SA Highlights: India clinch dominating win over South Africa with 30 runs

New Zealand vs South Africa playing XIs

New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi.

Also Read | Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi handed fine after South Africa clash

Catch the live action of the T20 World Cup 2026 with the complete T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and the T20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.

About the Author

Koushik, a Deputy Content Producer at LiveMint, has more than seven years of experience in sports reporting and desk. At LiveMint, Koushik covers spor...Read More

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