AHMEDABAD, Feb 22 (Alliance News): South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the third Super Eight match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
The contest carries added significance as the two sides share a competitive history in T20 World Cup encounters. In their previous seven meetings in the tournament, India holds a 5–2 advantage over South Africa. Their most recent clash came in the final of the 2024 edition, where India secured a narrow seven-run victory to lift the title.
India enters the match with a strong and balanced lineup led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, with key players including Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Ishan Kishan expected to play crucial roles in both batting and bowling departments.
South Africa, captained by Aiden Markram, will rely on the experience of Quinton de Kock, David Miller and Kagiso Rabada, alongside promising young talents such as Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs, to post a competitive total after opting to bat first.
Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
Both teams will be aiming for a crucial victory in the Super Eight stage as the race intensifies for a place in the knockout rounds of the tournament.
