Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson - (Source: AFP.Com)
On Sunday, February 22, India will kickstart their T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 campaign when they take on the mighty South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Notably, the two teams recently met in a warm-up game, where the Men in Blue emerged victorious in a high-scoring thriller.
Now, both teams are placed in group A and are yet to be defeated in the tournament. The Proteas topped their group with four wins, and the same goes for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side.
India vs South Africa Preview
Despite four wins in four games, there are plenty of issues to address for the Men in Blue when they take on South Africa. India’s batting has been a big concern. Luckily, a different player rose on different occasions, but collectively, the Men in Blue struggled against associate nations.
Abhishek Sharma has been under the scanner as he has scored three ducks and is yet to open his account in the tournament. Further, Tilak Varma has been under the scanner as he has scored just 106 runs in four innings. There are concerns over his strike rate, and also a demand to drop him for the Super 8 stage.
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The Men in Blue also dealt a heavy blow ahead of the Proteas game as Mohammed Siraj got hit on his knee, following which he was down in pain. Therefore, India are expected to make a few changes to their playing XI.
This article will shed light on India’s probable XI for South Africa match.
India Playing XI vs South Africa- Match 43
Openers and Top Order (Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav)
Abhishek Sharma has scored 0 runs in three innings, but will retain his place in the playing XI as confirmed by Suryakumar Yadav. Notably, the India skipper spoke to the press, where he expressed displeasure over doubting Sharma’s place in the team.
However, if Abhishek fails against the Proteas, then the World Cup might be done and dusted for them. Ishan Kishan will continue to open with Abhishek. The southpaw has scored 176 runs in four innings and is India’s leading run-getter in the tournament so far.
Selection cloud looms over Tilak Varma, but the southpaw will get a nod above Sanju Samson because of his past performances. The tournament has reached a crucial stage, and the Men in Blue cannot afford more experiments.
Talking about SKY, the Indian skipper started the tournament strongly with an 84-run knock against the USA. However, since then, he has just amassed 78 runs in three innings.
Middle Order and All Rounders ( Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel)
In the middle-order, India will make one change, which is to bring Axar Patel back replacing Washington Sundar. Notably, the DC captain was given a rest against the Netherlands, but India will require his services against the Proteas.
Rest, Hardik Pandya will continue to don the role of a primary all-rounder as the star player has 87 runs in four innings and five wickets in four innings. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube is in the form of his life as the southpaw slammed 66 (31), which is his highest score in T20Is.
Rest Rinku Singh brings in the batting depth, which India cannot afford to lose by dropping the KKR star from the team.
Bowlers (Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy)
In the bowling, India are not expected to make any changes. Varun Chakaravarthy has been India’s best bowler with 9 wickets in four matches. Further, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are the two frontline seamers who will pair up with Hardik Pandya to form a formidable trio.
Singh returned to the team against the Netherlands, but is having an underwhelming tournament so far. Notably, the left-arm seamer has picked up just three wickets in three matches. Jasprit Bumrah, on the other hand, has returned to his very best. The 32-year-old has four wickets in three innings, bowling with an economy of 6.00.
India Playing XI vs South Africa - Match 43, T20 World Cup 2026
Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
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