
Shivam Sharma
abplive|22-02-2026
India vs South Africa Super 8 Preview, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Live Streaming: ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 reaches a fever pitch today as two undefeated giants collide at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Both India and South Africa finished at the top of their respective groups with perfect 4-0 records. IND vs SA Super 8 match is widely being viewed as a "Final before the Final," reviving the intense rivalry seen in the 2024 World Cup summit clash.
Fixture: India vs. South Africa (Super 8, Group 1)
Time: 7:00 PM IST (Toss at 6:30 PM IST)
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
TV Broadcast: Star Sports Network (multiple regional languages)
Live Streaming: JioHotstar app and website
Unlike the rain-affected opener in Colombo, Ahmedabad offers a starkly different setting:
Weather: Expect clear skies and hot conditions. Afternoon temperatures will peak around 36°C, dropping to a comfortable 26°C by the evening. There is a 0% chance of rain, ensuring a full 40-over contest.
Pitch Analysis: Known for being a batter’s paradise, the flat black-soil surface offers true bounce and pace. Scoring 170+ is the norm here.
The Dew Factor: Heavy evening dew is expected during the second innings. This will likely make the ball slippery for bowlers, making the toss crucial as captains will prefer to bowl first and chase under easier conditions.
India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav has backed struggling opener Abhishek Sharma, despite his three consecutive ducks. The only expected change is the return of Axar Patel, whose experience on this ground may see him replace Washington Sundar.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
Proteas are likely to bring back their frontline pace battery, resting some players from their previous low-stakes game against the UAE.




