🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup : M 9 : SA vs Canada at Ahmedabad🏏

🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup : M 9 : SA vs Canada at Ahmedabad🏏

9th Match, Group D, Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

South Africa will be facing Canada in the ninth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Monday, 9 February 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with the game scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST.

Therefore, this Group D fixture will bring an exciting clash between one of the tournament favourites and spirited challengers aiming to make their mark.

South Africa arrive as one of the stronger sides in Group D, having finished as runners-up at the 2024 T20 World Cup behind India.

Consequently, the Proteas will be eager to start their campaign with a commanding performance here, while Canada will enter this match with confidence after qualifying through the Americas region and aiming to upset one of the top teams early in the competition.

Although both teams are yet to open their 2026 World Cup account, South Africa’s deeper experience and powerful pace attack give them a clear edge on paper. Moreover, the Proteas boast a well-balanced squad that can adapt to Ahmedabad’s batting-friendly conditions, while Canada will rely on fearless intent and disciplined bowling to challenge the stronger lineup.

Thus, this match promises strategic battles in both batting and bowling departments as both teams seek early points in the group standings.

In the 9th T20 match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa (SA) is set to face Canada (CAN). South Africa will be among the strongest contenders for the title. In the previous T20 World Cup, they came very close to lifting their maiden trophy but eventually finished as runners-up after India delivered a dominant performance in the final. South Africa has one of the most formidable fast-bowling attacks in the tournament, which could play a crucial role in their campaign.

On the other hand, this will be Canada’s second consecutive appearance in the T20 World Cup. They were outstanding in the Americas Region Qualifiers, winning all their matches to secure qualification. Led by Captain Dilpreet Bajwa, Canada will be eager to make a strong impact on the global stage.

Rarely have South Africa gone to any World Cup so unencumbered by expectation. Even reaching the final of this tournament in Barbados not quite two years ago hasn't raised hopes that Aiden Markram's team could go that one step further and grab the glory this time. It's not as if the cricketminded section of the nation doesn't care. They just don't care as much as they did before South Africa beat Australia in the WTC final at Lord's in June last year. Yes, the format is different. But, finally, for the first time since 1998, an ICC trophy gleams in the cabinet. That's what South Africans care about.

Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Rubin Hermann, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs.

Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs weren't in the original squad, which CSA in their lack of wisdom chose to release on January 2 despite the ICC's deadline of midnight, Dubai time, on January 30. That was reasonable in Stubbs' case, considering his lack of recent form. But Rickelton scored one SA20 century eight days before the squad was announced and another eight days after it was named. It took injuries to Donavan Ferreira and Tony de Zorzi to get Rickelton and Stubbs to the World Cup, and there is still unhappiness that Ottneil Baartman wasn't picked.

The road to the World Cup

South Africa have won only a dozen of their 32 T20Is since the last World Cup in the format. That's not much more than a third. That slips to exactly a third in Asia, where they have won three of nine, and a measly 25% in India, with one win in four games. What have they done for themselves lately? See below.

Last five T20Is: L-L-W-W-L

The way they play

Everything Shukri Conrad touches turns to freshness. If he has a secret it's that he communicates simple ideas well, and then gives his players space to get on with implementing them. That hasn't borne fruit in T20I terms yet, but this is Conrad's first World Cup since taking on the white-ball portfolios in May last year. And his timing is better than Quinton de Kock's.

Look out for the deployment of someone like Jason Smith not to score a pile of runs, but to make a nugget of them at an outrageous strike rate to make the game take a great leap forward. Invariably South Africa are blessed with a slew of quality allrounders, but Marco Jansen, George Linde and Corbin Bosch shine out even in that company. Bowlers don't come cleverer than Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi, and then there's that beam of batting light...

Who can bend a match in 10 balls

...yes, him: Dewald Brevis. He's not quite lived up to the hype. Yet. But his 53, 75 not out and 101 at the sharp end of the SA20 suggest he's getting there quickly. You don't score a century in a major final - even if your team loses, and against an attack that includes Jansen and Anrich Nortje - without knowing what you're doing.

Scheduling

It's a cutthroat group, what with South Africa, Afghanistan and New Zealand all capable of claiming one of the two available Super Eight places. The South Africans will have the advantage of acquainting themselves with conditions in Ahmedabad before they have to take on both their rivals for a spot in the next round.

Date Opponent Venue
February 9 CanadaNarendra Modi stadium, Ahmedabad
February 11 AfghanistanNarendra Modi stadium, Ahmedabad
February 14 New ZealandNarendra Modi stadium, Ahmedabad
February28 OmanArun Jaitley stadium, New Delhi

Banana peel fixture: The Afghans have long since graduated from minnowhood and are legitimate contenders to go all the way. Running into them after what should be an easy win against Canada is an alarm waiting to be raised.

What a good World Cup looks like

Nobody would blink should South Africa reach the semifinals. Even reaching another decider wouldn't be heralded as an achievement. That's the thing about finals - once you've made it that far, the only way upward is to win. What would winning mean? Steady. Not a single South African has dared to think about that. Except, perhaps, for Conrad.

Canada will enter their second consecutive World Cup with a new captain at the helm, appointing Dilpreet Singh Bajwa as leader ahead of the global tournament. At just 23, Bajwa's ascent to the captaincy has been rapid, capping a rise that has unfolded barely two years after his international debut. The timing of the appointment has prompted questions in and around Canada, which continues to operate under a cloud of scrutiny amid ongoing allegations of governance and corruption within Cricket Canada. Bajwa takes over following the removal of former captain Nicholas Kirton, who lost the role after an illegal substance was discovered in his baggage at Barbados airport earlier this year.

Canada head into the tournament after a four-month absence from international cricket, having last played an official match in September 2025. Drawn against heavyweights such as South Africa and New Zealand, their return to the world stage presents a formidable challenge as they seek to navigate both competitive and administrative turbulence.