South Africa have announced their squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup and have decided to make some bold moves. They have decided to snub players like Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Reeza Hendricks and Ottneil Baartman. All the four players are participating in the ongoing season of the SA20.
Rabada good to go
On the other hand, Kagiso Rabada has now fully recovered from the rib injury that had kept him out of the India tour and thus, has been picked by the Proteas in the squad. He will be leading the side's pace attack that includes the likes of Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch. The squad consists of multiple young players and seven of them will be participating in their first T20 World Cup.
South Africa's selection convener Patrick Moroney also admitted that they have had to make some brave calls, but expressed confidence in the current set of players to deliver in the mega-tournament that is set to be played in India and Sri Lanka.
"We have had to make some big calls, but we feel this group is the strongest and has every chance of succeeding in India and Sri Lanka. We have assembled a world-class squad with some of the finest and most experienced players in the game, together with some of the best T20 youngsters coming through," Moroney said in a statement.
SA bring in the inexperiened Smith
The inclusion of inexperienced all-rounder Jason Smith is one of the biggest talking points. The 31-year-old has only played three ODIs and two T20Is so far. His last international appearance came in a T20I against Namibia in October, 2025. Smith had recently starred for Dolphins in the CSA T20 Challenge and had sent the team to the playoff with an explosive knock of 68 runs from just 19 deliveries. Not only does he know how to finish games, but also offers a fast-bwoling option.
The Proteas have opted to go for Keshav Maharaj and George Linde as their proper spin options while Aiden Markram and Donovan Ferreira are the part-time options. Markram will be the one to lead the team in the tournament that will commence from February 7. On the other hand, Quinton de Kock will most likely be fulfilling the wicketkeeping duties.
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South Africa's squad for 2026 T20 World Cup: Aiden Markram (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (WK), Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Jason Smith