India vs South Africa, Super 8: South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first against India in their all-important T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on February 22. While India didn't make any change to their playing XI, South Africa came up with four changes. South Africa brought in Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and David Miller to their playing XIs.
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What did the captains say after the toss?
South Africa captain Aiden Markram, after winning the toss, said:
"Aiden Markram: we are going to bat first. It looks like a really good wicket - a lot drier than the previous one we came across here - so we’re not expecting that early tackiness. We think it’s going to be a good surface throughout, and hopefully we can put a nice big score on the board. The boys are in good touch, which is always a blessing. We’re not taking that for granted, but it’s a good space to be in at the moment. The guys have been putting in a lot of work behind the scenes to maintain that form and confidence. We’ve been fortunate to play a couple of games here before. It’s a different wicket this time - black soil - but generally this is a high-scoring ground and an entertaining venue. As players, that’s what you look forward to being part of, and hopefully tonight is no different. From the previous game, we’ve made four changes to go back to our usual XI - Keshav (Maharaj) comes back in, Lungi (Ngidi) comes back in, Marco (Jansen) comes back in, and David (Miller) comes back in as well.”
Meanwhile, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, after losing the toss, said:
"I was actually looking to bat first, but it’s okay. We played here two or three days back and when they were bowling first, there was a little bit in the wicket, so why not take that advantage? It’s a big game, a great occasion for everyone to step up and show their character. It’s a full house tonight, hopefully, and we’ve got a good game for them. It’s the business end now, so you’ve got to bring your A-game. We do have three league games, but you have to deliver that punch from ball one, and I think tonight is the right time. We’ll look to bring good energy on the field, follow our good habits, and take whatever result comes our way. The pitch looks quite similar to the previous black soil surface we played on, just one strip away, not too much change. We’re happy to bowl first. It’s very harsh on Axar Patel, but we’re going with the same team - just a tactical decision, so no changes from the last game."
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India's 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's 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
Pitch Report
"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," Ravi Shastri and Shaun Pollock analysed the pitch.