LiveIND vs SA Live T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 score: Axar misses out as South Africa opt to bowl, check playing XIs

Varun Chakaravarthy: (On having a good record against SA at this venue) Well, those matches were played a month before and obviously things have changed after that, but I would say the wicket did help me a bit because it skids more, yeah. (What's important at this venue?) Exactly as I told you, the pitch, if it provides more skid, it sometimes helps me because I’m generally more quicker through the air and so I get a little more help here. (Bowling in the middle overs) It’s just taking wickets, picking wickets. So my role in the team is to pick wickets and I do bowl quite often in the powerplay also because in the last two series, all the matches I have bowled in the powerplay. So I’m used to that also. (On the support for this game) Means a lot because this ground, when it’s packed, it’s totally different. It has a different vibe to it and we are all looking forward to this experience here. (On defending totals) Yeah, it is challenging because small ground and flat wickets. I hope we could play more in Sri Lanka because of the turning tracks, but this is the conditions that we have in front of us. So can’t complain much. Things have been going well for the team and yeah, hopefully we can continue it.

India vs South Africa playing XIs

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

South Africa (Playing XI): Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

Captains at toss

Suryakumar Yadav India captain: We were also looking to bat first, good occasion for everyone to come up and show what we have got. We have good energy on the field and we will take the result whatever comes our way. Happy to bowl first. Very harsh on Axar Patel, we are going with the same team. So no changes.

Aiden Markram South Africa captain : We gonna bat first, really a good wicket and lot drier than what we have seen. The boys are looking in good touch and it's a good place to be at the moment. We have been fortunate to play a couple of games here, this is black soil pitch. We have made 4 changes from the previous game. Kesh, Lungi and Marco come back in.

South Africa captain Aidem Markram has won the toss and opted to bat against India in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash. The Proteas will feature four changes. On the other hand, India featured with the same playing XI as Axar Patel sits out. Washington Sundar included. 

Aiden Markram at toss: We gonna bat first, really a good wicket and lot drier than what we have seen. The boys are looking in good touch and it's a good place to be at the moment. We have been fortunate to play a couple of games here, this is black soil pitch. We have made 4 changes from the previous game. Kesh, Lungi and Marco come back in.

Ahmedabad pitch analysis by Ravi Shastri and Shaun Pollock: It’s Ahmedabad, and it’s a nice, pleasant spring evening here. Temperatures are in the low 30s-32 to be exact - with not much humidity, and at this time of year it’s normally ideal for playing cricket. The ground dimensions are 72 meters straight down the ground, 67 one side and 64 the other, so if you want to play the ramps and target the shorter boundary, that’s the way to go. It’s pitch number five, the same surface used when South Africa played India here in December - India made 236 and South Africa replied with 210. If you look at the numbers, it’s the highest-scoring surface in India with an average first-innings score of 192, so you’d say it’s a bit of a belter. Having had a close look, it seems to have a little less grass than in the other games, it’s completely black soil with no red involved whatsoever, and there are more cracks visible on this surface. I think it’s going to be a good pitch throughout, but with the river so close to the ground, the only concern is whether dew could play a part later on - so there could well be an advantage to batting second.

Ishan Kishan

The wicketkeeper batter is in the form of his life as he has scored 176 runs in four matches so far at a strike rate of 202.29 with two fifties. The southpaw's knock included 19 fours and 11 sixes, with the best score of 77 coming against arch-rivals Pakistan. Overall, Kishan is the fifth-highest run-getter of the T20 World Cup.

Aiden Markram 

South Africa's Aiden Markram is also in lethal form and is currently the fourth-highest run-scorer of the tournament at the moment. He has scored 178 runs in four matches at an average of 59.33 and a strike rate of 187.36 with two half-centuries. He has smashed 24 fours and six sixes during his stay in the middle and South Africa would be hoping for him to continue batting the same way in the clash against India.

Varun Chakaravarthy

Varun Chakaravarthy has been one of India’s biggest strengths with the ball in this T20 World Cup. His mystery spin is troubling batters again and again. So far, he has taken nine wickets, which makes him the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. If India go deep into the competition, he could even finish as the top wicket-taker. He has been very economical too, giving away very few runs and averaging just 7.76. He has already taken two four-wicket hauls, showing how dangerous he can be on his day.

Lungi Ngidi

For South Africa, Lungi Ngidi has been their main man with the ball. He has picked up eight wickets in just three matches and has made a strong impact. With an average of 11.37, he has been consistent and effective. South Africa will once again look to him to deliver and strike important blows when they face India.

India has played nine T20Is at the Narendra Modi Stadium, winning seven and losing two. The Men in Blue faced South Africa here last December, winning the contest by 30 runs after posting a mammoth 231/5 in 20 overs. 

India had a small scare against the USA, but they quickly got back on track with a huge 93-run win over Namibia. The big match against Pakistan turned out to be comfortable, and they finished the group stage with a 17-run victory over the Netherlands.

Interestingly, India defended their total successfully in all four matches. They won the toss only once, in the game against the Netherlands, which makes their performance even more impressive.

Ishan Kishan has been their top scorer so far, making 176 runs in four matches at a brilliant strike rate of 202.30. Varun Chakravarthy has led the bowling attack with nine wickets at an excellent average of 6.89. Out of the 35 wickets India have taken, 18 have come from fast bowlers and 17 from spinners. This shows that both pace and spin departments are performing really well.

What’s even more surprising is that Abhishek Sharma hasn’t scored a single run in the tournament yet, and India still looks completely in control.

At the Ahmedabad venue, India also have a strong record, winning 7 of their 9 matches there.

South Africa know the venue really well, having played all their group stage matches, barring one, at the Narendra Modi Stadium. India, on the other hand, played against the Netherlands, which was their last group stage encounter at this venue.
 

India captain Suryakumar Yadav defended Tilak Varma, who was seen playing the anchor role in the T20 World Cup. SKY revealed that the Indian management has told him to play in that manner. 

“I have told him, the team management has told him that he has to bat that way. If one wicket is down, then he definitely can go and have his own game in the powerplay. But as soon as two wickets are down, then he has to take a little bit of a backseat, get a partnership again, get to the 10th over and then we have enough firepower to continue and take on the bowling,” he said. “I don’t have any concern regarding him. He has been delivering for India at No. 3 really well, and I am very confident that he will do it better,” he added.
 

The winner of Super 8 between India and South Africa will take a strong step towards the T20 World Cup 2026 Semifinal qualification. On the other hand, the losing team will have to win their remaining three clashes of the Super 8.

During net sessions on the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 eve, wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan spotted tonking sixes on the bowlers. BCCI shared a clip where Hardik Pandya can be heard saying You've got a great intent. Here is the video. 

India and South Africa have played seven matches against each other in the T20 World Cup, where the Men in Blue holds edge by winning five, and the Proteas managed to win two. 
 

South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock opened up on how South Africa dealt with their T20 World Cup 2024 final pain where India defeated team in Barbados.

“To be honest, after that day, we just forgot about it, in all honesty. I don’t think any of us really wanted to speak about it. Everyone went home and kind of went through their own process how to deal with it. We didn’t need to talk about it as a team. That’s pretty much it. We never really spoke about it. I think from there, I haven’t been around with the team since then, not much, so they probably have, but I’ve only just joined for the last couple of months. So, as far as I know that’s all that’s happened,” de Kock said on Saturday in the pre-match press conference.
 

“It is more important for me to be present in that situation. Mentally, definitely all those players who play have skill but who is mentally more smarter, more better and ready for the challenge that is what has worked for me in a different way. That’s made me a better cricketer, better all rounder. As a batsman and bowler I’ve been working very smartly because I know I have that capability. I know you have to be that smart. You know what bowlers will bowl to you. And what bowling you have to bowl in that situation. What is my strength. So it’s so important,” he explained to BCCI.

South Africa legend Shaun Pollock has picked India as the favourites to win the T20 World Cup clash against India. He backed India, saying that  the hosts to come out on top again based on the variety in their bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy, two individuals who bring the x-factor to the contest.

“I think South Africa and India have personnel who match each other on the day [but] I think the batting line-ups cancel each other out. The point of difference is in two bowlers, Bumrah and Chakravarthy,” Pollock was quoted as saying by The Sowetan newspaper.

“South Africa have quality, but it’s the rare nature of the way they deliver the ball that gives them an edge.”

There are chances that India will feature with two changes in the South Africa clash. Vice captain Axar Patel, who missed the clash, will be seen taking the field against South Africa. Notably, the spin all-rounder is 100 per cent fit. Apart from that, there are chances that Kuldeep Yadav might come into the playing XI in place of Arshdeep Singh, however that depends upon the conditions and pitch. 

India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will surely feature in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash against South Africa consedaring the importance of the clash. The speedster has featured in three matches so far, where he picked four wickets. Bumrah missed the T20 World Cup 2026 opener against the USA due to illness. In his absence, Mohammed Siraj led the pace attack. 

As per our correspondent in Ahmedabad, the weather is clear and there is no sign of rain during the India vs South Africa T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash. 

Suryakumar Yadav flexed confidence in the team ahead of the South Africa clash. The stylish batter reckons that his side is making 40-50 runs in the powerplay, which is normal cricket. 

“It’s going well in the Powerplay. We’re making 40-50 runs. That’s normal cricket. Now we’ve played so well in bilaterals. It happens – we have expectations, we also have expectations from ourselves. Expectation is to make 220, 240, 250. But wickets are a little different here. The four wickets we have played on so far were a little different and challenging,”
 

SA 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, Lungi Ngidi.

India Probable 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.

Abhishek Sharma has yet to score runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far, as the southpaw departed on three consecutive ducks in his three outings. The batter missed India's second group stage clash against Namibia due to illness. There are speculations that Sanju Samson might replace Abhishek, but skipper Suryakumar Yadav dismissed all the speculations backing Abhishek. So Abhishek will be seen featuring in the South Africa clash. 

India and South Africa faced each other in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 where Rohit Sharma-led side defeated the Proteas to win their second T20 World Cup so there are chances that the proteas will look for a win against India to take the revenge of T20 World Cup 2024. 

The Super 8 clash between India and South Africa will be a high-scoring contest as the wicket has been flat at Ahmedabad in this tournament thus far, if the same pitch has been used today, then it will be a high scoring affaitr consedaring the fireworks of both teams. 

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of India vs South Africa T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash, which is taking place at iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Both teams sealed their Super 8 berth after winning all their league matches in the marquee event.