India faces South Africa in a blockbuster Super 8 clash at the T20 World Cup 2026. This high-stakes encounter could shape the semifinal race in Group 1.
India vs South Africa, 43rd Match, Super Eights Group 1, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The game takes place on Sunday, February 22, 2026, starting at 7:00 PM IST (local time same). Venue is the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
Expect a batting-friendly black-soil pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium, offering good bounce and pace early on, though pacers have claimed 68% of T20I wickets here historically. Night games often favor chases due to dew, but scores might be tempered compared to pure red-soil tracks; teams winning the toss likely bowl first. Weather looks perfect with clear skies, temperatures around 26°C at toss dropping to 20°C later, zero rain chance, and minimal cloud cover.
This feels like the final before the final in a loaded Group 1 alongside West Indies and Zimbabwe. Both sides enter unbeaten at 4-0 from group stages, but a loss here turns the final two games into must-wins for semifinal hopes. India risks snapping their 12-match T20 World Cup winning streak, while South Africa, familiar with Ahmedabad after three group games, aims to build on their 2024 final heartbreak and recent Test revenge.
India has been ruthless, topping their group with wins over USA (29 runs), Namibia (93 runs), Pakistan (61 runs), and Netherlands (17 runs defending 194). Their last five T20Is: WWWWW (pre-tournament L). South Africa topped a tough group too, chasing UAE’s 122 easily (Brevis 36*, Bosch 3/12), plus victories over NZ, Canada, and Afghanistan; form WWWWL.
IND vs SA Match Details
- Match: India vs South Africa, 43rd Match
- Teams: IND vs SA
- Date: 22 Feb 2026
- Time: 6:30 PM 1:30 PM GMT / 7:00 PM LOCAL
- Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
T20 World 2026 Live Streaming Info
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on February 7, 2026, and wraps up with the final on March 8, 2026. Hosted across India and Sri Lanka with 20 teams, it spans about a month—group stages from early February, Super 8s mid-month, semis late February/early March, and the final in Colombo or Mumbai.
- In India, tune into Star Sports Network (Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2) or stream on Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema.
- Pakistan viewers can watch on PTV Sports, A Sports, or Ten Sports, with streaming available on Tapmad and Tamasha.
- For Sri Lanka, options include SLRC, Channel Eye, and Siyatha TV on TV, plus Sri Lanka Cricket YouTube and Dialog ViU online.
- UK fans have Sky Sports Cricket, TNT Sports 1, and talkSPORT on television, alongside Sky Go, Discovery+, and NOW TV for streaming.
- In South Africa, SuperSport covers it on TV and via their app.
- Australia might check Fox Sports for TV and Kayo Sports for live streams.
- USA and Canada: Willow TV on TV, Sling TV or Willow HD app for streaming.
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ on TV and Sky Go app.
- Bangladesh: Gazi TV (GTV) and Rabith BD app.
- Afghanistan: RTA Sport and Ariana TV.
Rest of the world: ICC.tv for free streaming where no local rights holder exists. Subscriptions often apply, and VPNs can assist with geo-blocks where permitted.
How to Watch the Match for Free:
Catch every boundary without paying via these official free options, perfect for fans in Pakistan and beyond.
Pakistan: PTV Sports broadcasts all matches live for free on TV via terrestrial, cable, and satellite—no subscription needed.
Live Streaming Info:
The 43rd T20 World Cup match will be live on Willow Cricket.
Live Score Info:
Probable XIs
India Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
South Africa Probable XI: Aiden Markram (capt), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada/Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi.
Head-to-Head
India leads South Africa 21-13 in 35 T20Is (1 NR). In T20 World Cups, India dominates 5-2. Last five meetings: India won the December 2025 T20I series 3-1 (1 washed out), including a 231-run demolition in Ahmedabad’s finale.
India Team Analysis
India’s strength lies in balanced bowling—Bumrah’s death-over mastery, Varun’s mystery spin (9 wickets this WC), Arshdeep’s powerplay threat—and explosive batting depth. Weakness? Top-order inconsistency, with Abhishek Sharma battling ducks (5 this year). Key players: Suryakumar Yadav (capt, consistent anchor), Ishan Kishan (opener in 170s at 2-a-ball), Hardik Pandya (all-round fireworks at “home” ground). Recent momentum unbeatable, yet not fully firing.
South Africa Team Analysis
South Africa’s power-hitting middle order (Brevis, Miller, Stubbs) and pace attack shine, with Ngidi leading wickets and Bosch’s control. Vulnerability in spin-handling against India’s variety, plus occasional collapses under pressure. Standouts: Aiden Markram (capt/opener, 170s at strike rate ~200, recent 86* vs NZ), Quinton de Kock (aggressive starts), Markram/Keshav Maharaj for control. They’ve adapted well to Ahmedabad, chasing comfortably.
Key Talking Points
Watch Arshdeep vs de Kock (4 dismissals since 2024), Varun vs SA middle order, and Hardik’s Ahmedabad return. Openers Ishan and Markram have lit up the tournament—strategy sessions will target them. Rivalry heats up post-2024 WC final (India won) and SA’s Test whitewash.
India edges it in a thriller, leveraging home advantage, superior head-to-head, bowling variety, and Ahmedabad factor despite SA’s form. Expect 170-180 chase under lights.