Former England captain Michael Vaughan has labelled South Africa “the stupidest team” of the T20 World Cup 2026, saying their decision to beat the West Indies in the Super 8s allowed India’s eventual title run to continue. Vaughan argued on the Stick to Cricket podcast that had the Proteas lost at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India would have faced a much tougher path and could have been knocked out before the semifinals.
The context: India lost their Super 8 opener to South Africa by 76 runs, leaving the hosts needing wins over Zimbabwe and the West Indies to advance. Because the Windies had already beaten Zimbabwe, a Windies victory over South Africa would have put India’s progress in serious jeopardy. Instead, Aiden Markram’s South Africa defeated the West Indies, and India won their remaining Group 1 matches, with both teams moving into the semifinals.
Vaughan, 51, said South Africa missed a strategic opportunity to eliminate the tournament’s strongest side. “I tell you, who I think is the stupidest team of the tournament? South Africa. Because if South Africa had allowed the West Indies to beat them in the Super 8s, India would have been knocked out,” he said. He added that by defeating the Windies, the Proteas “allowed the juggernaut to go on.”
Vaughan also criticised South Africa’s rotation decisions, noting they rested three players in their subsequent match against Zimbabwe. “If you want to win a World Cup, the best way is to eliminate the best team early,” he said, arguing teams should take every chance to remove the main threat.
The tournament concluded with India defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final in Ahmedabad, securing the World Cup on home soil and defending the title for the first time. South Africa, widely fancied before the event, were eliminated after losing their semifinal to New Zealand.
Original Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/michael-vaughan-believes-south-africa-were-stupidest-team-of-the-t20-world-cup-india-would-have-been-knocked-out-101773362530910.html
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Publish Date: 2026-03-13 06:28:00
