India are set to take on South Africa in their first Super 8 fixture of the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday, 22 February at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Men in Blue head into the contest on an unbeaten run, having won all four of their group-stage matches. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side were tested by USA, Namibia and the Netherlands, suffering batting collapses in all three fixtures.
However, the bowlers rose to the occasion and ensured that India’s unbeaten run in the tournament since 2024 remained intact. As the action now moves to the Super 8 stage, every team will have very little margin for error, as another defeat could push them to the brink of elimination.
India, therefore, cannot afford any further lapses and will need to be spot on in assessing the conditions and selecting the ideal playing combination. They made two changes for their previous fixture against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium, bringing in Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh in place of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.
While the decision to include Sundar was taken to rest Axar for a non-consequential game, Arshdeep was drafted in to exploit the seam-friendly conditions in Ahmedabad early on. Although Patel is likely to return to the playing XI against South Africa, especially with the match being held at his home ground, the team management could face a dilemma over whether to select Arshdeep or Kuldeep.
Will South Africa make changes?
Both players boast an impressive record against the Proteas, but the final decision is likely to hinge on the pitch conditions. The fixture against the Netherlands suggested that two spinners may suffice on the surface, as it did not offer excessive turn. As a result, Arshdeep is likely to retain his place; however, Kuldeep’s wicket-taking ability in the middle overs could also tempt the management to recall him.
Meanwhile, after experimenting with their bench strength in the dead rubber against the United Arab Emirates in Delhi on Wednesday, South Africa are expected to revert to their first-choice XI. This would see David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi return to the side, replacing Jason Smith, George Linde, Anrich Nortje and Kwena Maphaka.
India’s Predicted XI: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
South Africa’s Predicted XI: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi.
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