T20 World Cup 2026: India breezed through the group stage, winning all four matches. But now things get serious. On Sunday, they go up against South Africa in the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup, a team that’s not messing around. South Africa’s bowling is stacked. The likes of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, and Aiden Markram aren’t just names; they’re a real threat. India’s got the title to defend, but this is where the pressure kicks in.
These two teams know each other well. In fact, this will be their sixth meeting in just two months. At this point, whoever adapts better to the conditions will probably walk away with the win. India barely broke a sweat in the group stage, but even they know their batting needs repair work. India made it to the Super 8 without dropping a single game, and South Africa did the same. Both teams came in undefeated. They faced off for the title in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, where India beat South Africa to lift the trophy. Now, here they are, about to go head-to-head again in another ICC tournament.
India’s batting asks for improvement
Abhishek’s form is still a headache and Tilak hasn’t really found his groove either. His numbers tell the story. 25 off 24 against Pakistan, 25 off 21 against Namibia, and 31 off 27 against the Netherlands. He just hasn’t been able to push the scoring rate, sitting at a strike rate just above 120 when his career average is 141. Even captain Suryakumar Yadav, after that explosive 84* against the USA, hasn’t kept up the same level.
Match Details
Match – India vs South Africa
Date – Sunday, February 22, 2025
Time – 07:00 PM IST
Venue – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
But even with these batting worries, India’s bowling gives them an edge. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy handle eight overs between them, and that’s a huge weapon. No team so far, not even Pakistan, has managed to handle India’s bowlers in the powerplays. Varun’s picked up nine wickets in four games, keeping things tight with an economy of 5.16. Bumrah’s been just as stingy, only giving up six runs an over in his three matches. That’s why India’s still right in the mix for the title.
India’s Probable Playing XI: Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
South Africa Probable Playing XI: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brewis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi.
