India face South Africa in their first Super Eight match of the T20 World Cup 2026 in Ahmedabad on Sunday. It is a big step in the home tournament, and a strong South African attack waits.
South Africa will bring back Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen after resting them against UAE. Keshav Maharaj and Aiden Markram add spin options on a black-soil pitch that could grip.
India’s top order has not fired so far. Ishan Kishan is the only batter in form, with two fifties and a stunning strike rate of 202 in the group stage.
Abhishek Sharma is struggling badly. He has three ducks in the tournament, and India need him to give quick starts at the top.
Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have tried to hold the innings together. But both have looked scratchy on slow pitches, with strike rates below their usual standards.
Tilak’s strike rate is just above 120, while Suryakumar is at 136. For players known for attacking shots, those numbers show India’s batting has not clicked.
India have often relied on late hitting from Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. Hardik has scored at 155, while Dube has gone even faster at 178.
If India reach 160 or more, much will depend on their bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy have been outstanding in the first phase.
The duo bowl eight of the 20 overs and rarely give away easy runs. Chakravarthy has nine wickets at an economy of 5.16, while Bumrah has gone for around six runs per over.
Their control helped India dominate even strong sides like Pakistan earlier in the tournament. Now they face a powerful South African batting unit.
Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, David Miller and Marco Jansen can all clear the ropes. They will test India’s bowling depth.
Selection will also be key. India could choose between Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh, while Axar Patel is likely to return in place of Washington Sundar.
This match will show where India truly stand. If the batting clicks to support the bowlers, the title defence will look strong. If not, South Africa can expose the cracks.