It did not feel like a Super 8 clash on Saturday, a day before India were to take on South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. A grand total of four Indian players turned up for practice, and the story was more or less similar for the South African side as well. It was quite a contrast that South Africa did not opt for a full practice under the lights of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, while smaller nations like Namibia were upset with the fact that they were not given similar sessions to adjust to the floodlights.
On Saturday, there was a sense of calm before the storm in the Motera area of Ahmedabad, where the stadium is situated. The area was not bustling. Only a few people gathered around the main gate of the stadium, seeking tickets from the guards. Inside the stadium complex, carpenters and painters provided final touches to set up the lounges for players and VIPs, while out on the ground, the South Africa and India players trotted around, soaking in the feel of the stadium.
The India vs South Africa clash will be the first meeting between the two in a World Cup since the Proteas’ heartbreaking defeat in the final of the 2024 edition of the tournament. Quinton de Kock, speaking at the press conference, said that South Africa were still touchy about the topic, stating that no one in the side has spoken about that night even once since that fateful day in Barbados.
“To be honest, after that game, we just forgot about it. In all honesty, none of us wanted to speak about it. We went home and went through our own processes about how to deal with it. That’s pretty much it. We have never really spoken about it,” De Kock said.
Quinton de Kock’s press interactions can often turn monotonous. He does not play to the room, does not speak more than a line on most occasions, and rarely shows emotion. But with the bat, all that changes. De Kock averages nearly 50 in the T20 format at this venue. Mix those credentials with Aiden Markram’s current form, and that suddenly becomes a terrifying proposition for the Indian team.
But again, you would not sense that urgency from South Africa’s training sessions.
Two days before the match, only Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis and Corbin Bosch hit the nets. On the day before the match, it was just Ryan Rickelton taking throwdowns in the main arena.
Where is the urgency? Where is the feeling of playing against India? One might ask.
However, it is important to note that South Africa have already played three games at this ground. Two of them were night games, so they know the surface very well.
A lot of South Africa’s drills revolved around their bowling plans, as they tried out different variations in the nets. They have put considerable thought into their bowling attack, and they will be hoping that things click on Sunday.
INDIA’S TOUGHEST TEST YET?
The Indian team trained for nearly four hours two days before the match. While most of them did not turn up for the afternoon session on Saturday, the side went hammer and tongs the previous evening.
Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan looked in incredible touch. The blows from Axar Patel’s bat looked crisp as well. The indication was that India might play one less spinner on the black soil surface and bring Arshdeep Singh into the XI. He bowled extensively against Ishan Kishan in the nets.
The only question that lay in front of journalists and fans was whether Abhishek Sharma would play after his triple failure. But those concerns were allayed by Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday when he backed the player and said that they did not feel the need to make any changes to the side.
“Those who worry about Abhishek Sharma’s form, I worry about them: ‘Why do you worry so much about his form?’ I am worrying about the teams that will face him now, because he hasn’t scored yet,” Suryakumar said at the pre-match press conference.
India are, at the moment, in autopilot mode. Apart from their batting against spin, most things have checked out. The focus has been on Tilak Varma, who has not been able to cut loose in the middle overs — partly due to the nature of the pitches and partly due to the positions he has been forced to bat in, often walking in during crisis situations.
“I am sure he must not be happy with how he is batting right now. I am sure. He must be, and he has practised a lot as well in the last 2-3 sessions,” Suryakumar said about Tilak Varma.
IND vs SA: AHMEDABAD PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
Ahmedabad has been boiling hot in the afternoons, so much so that both teams have preferred not to put their players through extended net sessions during the day. In the evenings, it has been breezy with slight cloud cover at times. It is expected to be a black soil pitch in Ahmedabad, with negligible assistance for the spinners.
The wicket was kept under cover leading into the game, and one wonders if that was to prevent it from drying out too quickly.
De Kock said in his press conference that there has been little to no spin in Ahmedabad so far, and one wonders if the World Cup will finally see the high-scoring thriller that it has billed itself around.
There has been no dew at the Narendra Modi Stadium leading up to the game, and that is unlikely to change on Sunday.
IND vs SA: WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
India’s match against South Africa starts at 7 PM IST. The game will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The IND vs SA match will be livestreamed on JioHotstar, and the broadcast will be on the Star Sports Network.
IND vs SA: PREDICTED XIS
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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