South Africa are set to face Australia in a crunch three-match T20I series, starting August 10, Sunday at Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin. Ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, this three-match series offers a sound platform for both sides to sharpen their tools and get much-needed shine. Australia come into this series on the back of a 5-0 drubbing of the West Indies away. They will carry the favourites tag against the Proteas, who recently lost in a T20I tri-series final, which involved New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

What is the Context of the AUS vs SA match?

Aiden Markram leads a strong South African side, which includes Kagiso Rabada. Players like Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Ryan Rickelton have a chance to step up and take the opening slots on offer. The likes of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs and Rassie van der Dussen provide comfort in the middle order. In terms of bowling, Rabada gets support from Lungi Ngidi and Corbin Bosch.

For Australia, there is no Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the side. So Josh Hazlewood will lead the bowling attack. The Mitchell Marsh-led side boasts quality names in Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head and Josh Inglis in batting. The likes of Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis and Sean Abbott will provide able support to Hazlewood. T20 specialist Adam Zampa leads the spin show.

In terms of the H2H record, Australia and South Africa have met 25 times in T20I cricket. The Aussies have a definite edge with a win-loss record of 17-8. In 7 meetings between the sides in Australia, the hosts own a 5-2 advantage.

The 1st T20I match will start at 2:45pm IST on August 10 in Darwin.

Australia – Probable Playing XI

Travis Head: The star Aussie opener returns to the scheme of things after being rested for the Windies series. Head owns 1093 runs from 38 T20Is for Australia at 33.12.

Mitchell Marsh (c): Marsh captained Australia against the Windies. However, he had a mediocre series with the bat, scoring 24, 21, 22, 0 and 14.

Josh Inglis (wk): He is expected to come in at number three. He had a decent series against WI, posting 18, 78*, 15. 51 and 10. In 34 matches, he owns 878 runs at 32.51.

Cameron Green: The all-rounder could be a fine bet at number four. Green had a superb series against WI, hammering three fifties, 32 and 11 from 5 innings.

Glenn Maxwell: Australia experimented with Glenn Maxwell in the T20I series against WI by sending him to open alongside Marsh from the 2nd clash onwards. The player scored 12, 20, 47 and 0 in those 4 games. However, with Head’s return, Maxwell is expected to go back to the middle order.

Tim David: The big-hitting Tim David will hope to ace the finisher’s role well. In 43 matches for Australia, he has 775 runs with his strike rate being 175-plus.

Mitchell Owen: Batting all-rounder Mitchell Owen impressed in his debut series against the WI. He is set to keep his place and come in either at 6 or 7.

Ben Dwarshuis: The pacer owns 13 wickets from 7 matches at 20.92. He owns one four-fer. Overall in T20s, he has 211 wickets at 23.29.

Sean Abbott: The pacer has an impressive average of 21.15 in T20s. In 193 matches, he owns 254 wickets with 30 of them coming for Australia at 23.23.

Josh Hazlewood: The 2025 IPL winner has bagged 67 T20I scalps at 22.10. Hazlewood owns 158 wickets overall in T20s at 21.65.

Adam Zampa: The right-arm spinner has 380 T20 wickets at an impressive 21.54. He is Australia’s top wicket-taker in T20Is with 125 scalps from 100 games.

Player to watch out for (Cameron Green): The star all-rounder will be a threat for the Proteas as he comes to this series on the back of a solid show against WI.

Predicted South Africa Playing XI

Ryan Rickelton: The southpaw recently stated he wants to make the opening spot his own. He has had a modest start to his T20I career with 263 runs from 13 matches.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius: The promising 19-year-old made his T20I debut in the Tri-series. He hit a fifty in the final. He finished the series at 16.60. Overall, he has over 1100 runs in T20s from 43 matches.

Aiden Markram (C): The star cricketer returns to the fold after the ICC World Test Championship final. Markram, whose last T20 outings came at the IPL, will be keen to showcase his credentials.

Rassie van der Dussen: Highly experienced, Rassie van der Dussen owns 1363 runs for SA in T20Is. In total, he owns 6617 T20 runs at 37.17.

Tristan Stubbs: Stubbs also marks his return for SA after the WTC final. The promising player owns 670 runs for SA at 29.13. Overall in T20s, he owns 2870 runs.

Dewald Brevis: He can take the game by storm. Brevis is highly entertaining with a range of shots up his sleeve. Brevis averages 23 for SA from 7 games, with his strike rate being 176-plus.

Corbin Bosch: He will have a key role for SA. The bowling all-rounder averages 19.07 with the bat and has 744 T20 runs with 2 fifties.

Muthusamy’s Senior: The left-arm spinner is a clutch T20 all-rounder. He owns around 1200 T20 runs and 69 scalps, averaging 21.33 with the ball.

Nandre Burger: In 78 T20s, Nandre Burger has 88 wickets at 23.46. Burger will support Rabada and Ngidi in this line-up.

Kagiso Rabada A key figure in this side, Rabada makes a return since the WTC final. The most experienced player, Rabada has 278 wickets in T20s at 23.61.

FLIGHT IDI: The right-arm pacer was part of the WTC final and then played the T20I tri-series. The multi-format bowler has 188 T20 wickets from 145 matches at a solid 21.11.

Player to watch out for (Kagiso Rabada): The speedster is a man on a mission as he aims to hurt the Aussies. Rabada has what it takes to disrupt the hosts.

Pitch Report & Venue Conditions

The wicket at this venue is likely to be a flat deck. So, one can expect quality runs on the board. Batters will get a good bounce and a fast outfield. So, stroke play will be vital. The size of the boundaries is not big enough on this ground, which can play into the hands of the batters.  Notably, it remains to be seen how things shape up here at this venue.

Match Prediction – Who Has the Upper Hand?

The Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin, is set for his first international cricket game at senior level. So at this point, one cannot predict a side having an upper hand. Both teams have the desired feel and quality in the ranks. However, Australia have an edge given their dominance against SA.

FAQs About AUS vs SA Playing 11

Who is not playing in the AUS vs SA clash?

Nathan Ellis could warm the bench for Australia alongside Matthew Short and Matt Kuhnemann. For SA, Kwena Maphaka, Prenelan Subrayen, Nqaba Peter and George Linde are set to sit out.