Match News and Current Form
Zimbabwe were comprehensively outclassed by a second-string South Africa in the recent two-Test series and are expected to have a similarly difficult time despite this being their most successful format of recent years. They’ll be fuelled by the heartbreak of missing the 2024 T20 World Cup right throughout 2025 as they head towards the Africa regional qualifier on home soil, where they’ll be competing for two African slots with the pair of Namibia and Uganda, who pipped them to the 2024 edition.
Wins against India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Ireland since the last World Cup show what they are capable of when they can put everything together, though series losses to all but Ireland in that same time are a sign of the consistency that continues to elude them. Many of their team and individual stats from the last 12 months are heavily skewed by a sub-regional T20 World Cup qualifier where they thrashed associates such as Mozambique and Seychelles, so they ought to be treated carefully.
South Africa continue to rest their stars ahead of a busy period where they’ll be touring Australia, England and India before the year is out, and then there’s the SA20 and 2026 T20 World Cup to follow, so it’s understandable that many have sat this one out. South Africa’s last T20I commitment was seven months back - a remarkable gap for a format that is now flooding the market globally - where they defeated Pakistan 2-0 at home.
The 2024 T20 World Cup runners-up had not won any of their eight bilateral series prior to that (D2, L6), so it remains to be seen whether their run to the World Cup final was anything more than an anomaly. A tri-series missing any first choice starters won’t be the best indication, but there will still be expectations within the camp to qualify for and win the final later this month.
Head-to-Head History
It comes as no surprise that South Africa are undefeated in this matchup, winning five consecutive T20Is against Zimbabwe. They would have won a sixth as well - at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Hobart - but rain brought their run chase to a halt after three overs (51/0 chasing 64 in a seven-over game).
Hot Stats and Streaks
Zimbabwe lost six of their last eight completed T20Is in Harare
18 of the 23 first innings scores of 155+ were successfully defended, whilst 17 of the 27 under 155 were chased
South Africa lost seven of their 11 T20Is since the previous World Cup
Four of South Africa’s last six opening partnerships were single digit scores
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
27-year-old seamer Trevor Gwandu has impressed at the Harare Sports Club with eight wickets from his 16 T20I overs there since the start of 2024, averaging less than 15 with an economy rate of 7.38rpo. Big things are expected of Lhuan-dré Pretorius after he worked his way onto the international scene by top scoring in the 2025 SA20. Now he has international credentials after posting a century and half-century in the Test series.
South Africa have called up Nandre Burger and Gerald Coetzee because of injuries to Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen being rested. Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram are also missing, whilst Tabraiz Shamsi has been omitted. Heinrich Klaasen recently retired from international cricket. Rassie van der Dussen will captain the makeshift side.
Betting Analysis
South Africa should be too good but there’s no value in backing them to win. Instead, you could look to Lhuan-dré Pretorius to score 30+ runs at an even money price or better.