![India team in the left with Gautam Gambhir and Shukri Conrad in the right [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1771664472774_IndiateamintheleftwithGautamGambhirandShukriConradintheright.jpg?type=hq)
India team in the left with Gautam Gambhir and Shukri Conrad in the right [Source: X]
The T20 World Cup 2026 is set to witness a high-stakes encounter between India and South Africa on February 22. The last meeting between the two teams in a bilateral series ended in disappointment for the latter. However, Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad has vowed to make things tough for the hosts this time around.
Ahead of the all-important match, Conrad has elaborated on the ways he can expose the Men in Blue after both sides remained unbeaten in their group-stage fixtures in mega ICC tournament. The marquee fixture is set to be one of the most anticipated and high-stakes encounters of the entire T20 World Cup 2026 tournament.
Shukri Conrad Sends Out a Warning For India
Speaking ahead of the clash, Conrad hinted at the enormous expectations fans have from the host team, saying this might work against them as South Africa could use that pressure to their advantage.
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"There's so much scrutiny, especially in a side like India. They're going to be under a lot of pressure to make the semi-finals and obviously go on and make the finals as well. Hopefully, we can expose them and make them vulnerable under that pressure," Conrad said.
Conrad Explains Proteas Advantage Over Hosts
Notably, the Proteas toured the country in December and January for a multi-format series. Using this familiarity with subcontinent conditions, South Africa will look to give Gautam Gambhir & Co. a tough fight despite their 3-1 T20I series loss. Shukri Conrad acknowledged that the tour gave valuable insight to the team into what can be expected in Ahmedabad.
"That India tour gave us a really good insight as to what we could be up against. It prepped us really well in terms of the hostility and the fervour that's being built up around Sunday."
With the Narendra Modi Stadium hosting over 100,000 spectators, the Proteas are preparing for a massive sea of blue as the crowd rallies behind Suryakumar Yadav’s men.
"We could have 130,000 people crammed into the stadium, and they're going to be in blue," Conrad iterated.
South Africa, Not To Falter Under Pressure Of Blues in Ahmedabad
While suggesting that the pressure of expectations tilts the balance slightly towards the hosts, Shukri Conrad was also careful not to imply that South Africa would be playing without any pressure at all.
"Sunday is just one of the few matches that we have to win to get through, and we're as well prepared as we can be. Pressure is a big thing but it's pressure both for them (India) and us. We often talk about the pressure of playing against a top side, but we're not quite aware of what the pressures they are under," Shukri Conrad concluded.
With the clash promising a nail-biting encounter, the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match is set to be a high-pressure affair at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with live action kicking off at 7 PM IST.
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