In New Delhi, on February 18, South Africa's decision to drop Corbin Bosch for their match against Afghanistan, and to play George Linde, raised some questions. However, Bosch proved his worth by taking 1-34 against New Zealand in a crucial match at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
Similar to India's left-arm spin bowler Axar Patel, Bosch provides balance with both bat and ball, particularly during the final overs. On a difficult Wednesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Bosch delivered, taking 3-12 to help South Africa restrict the UAE to 122/6.
On the difficult Delhi pitch, which had been used in previous India-Namibia and Canada-UAE matches, South Africa's pacers found short or medium-length deliveries to exploit, troubling the Emirati batsmen and conceding only 41 runs and taking four wickets, which set the stage for them to win their group stage match as the only unbeaten team from Group D.
The final overs saw more short balls and cutters from the Proteas, with Bosch consistently performing and finishing as their most economical bowler. He dismissed Aryansh Sharma and Muhammad Arfan with catches to midwicket, before getting Sohaib Khan to edge behind for a wicket.
Bosch's record in the final overs is particularly noteworthy, especially considering South Africa will face India in the Super Eights match in Ahmedabad on Sunday. In T20s, Bosch has taken 39 wickets in overs 17-20, maintaining an economy rate of nine and a strike rate of 12.6.
"It's definitely not easy. But I think it's an honor. Pressure is a privilege, and it's one of the skills that, if you can master it, can really make a difference. I'm just fortunate to be a part of this team, and I'm always willing to do whatever I can for the team. I've been doing this for a long time, and I'm still trying to improve, and I enjoy it," he said in the post-match press conference.
Last year, after South Africa ended their 4-1 T20I series loss to India in Ahmedabad, head coach Shukri Conrad had expressed happiness over three of their four group stage matches taking place at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Moreover, two of their three Super Eight games will be played at the same venue, and Bosch believes this provides a great opportunity to adjust to the conditions. "We've had the advantage of getting to know the pitch and planning our strategies accordingly. I think the planning will now focus on individual players rather than the entire team, and how we want to approach the game," he said.
When asked who among the Indian batters would pose the biggest challenge, Bosch remained tight-lipped. "Their entire batting lineup is very strong. So, all of them. I'm not going to pick one."
As one of the key bowlers in the Proteas' attack, Bosch benefits from the presence of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen. With Ngidi and Jansen rested for Wednesday's match, Anrich Nortje and Kwena Maphaka seamlessly fit into the lineup.
"It's a privilege to be part of a team with such talented fast bowlers, and Anrich is still here. So, it's a luxury, but it comes with high standards for the entire bowling lineup. We support each other," he added.
Despite dropping four catches, Bosch concluded by saying that it was better for these mistakes to occur now rather than during the crucial stages of the competition.
"It's something that happens, and I would rather it happen now. I also dropped one catch, and it wasn't my best, but again, it's not our standard. But we will address it later. We are a much better fielding unit, and we will need to improve, especially in the Super Eights, whenever we have the opportunity," he said.
