🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: M24: SA vs NZ at Ahmedabad🏏 - Page 5

What could have been a blockbuster

Welcome to what could have been the first blockbuster match of the league stages. Instead we have had other blockbusters, and these two teams have all but survived the group of death. Had Afghanistan won that tiebreaker against South Africa, we would have been looking at a virtual knockout. Even now this promises to be a good match, but the stakes are low. The Super 8s are pre-seeded so it doesn't matter where these teams finish as long as they qualify. Let South Africa and New Zealand sharpen their games before the Super 8s then.

It is toss time in Ahmedabad. Markram and Santner are out there in the middle. Santner gives it a flick. Tails is the call and tails it is. South Africa will field first. Says they have played a night game here and that they feel it gets better to bat as the night progresses. It was tough, he says when referencing the Afghanistan game. Bosch comes into the side.

Playing XI

New Zealand XI: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (capt), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy

South Africa XI: Aiden Markram (capt), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi

South Africa have won the toss and have opted to field

Mitchell Santner - Looks like a good wicket, runs on the board and hopefully not a lot of dew. No easy games in this tournament and it's the same tonight as well. We know how good SA are and they've shown it, they're a quality side. Small improvements from game 1 onwards and we want to take it ahead. Same team.

Aiden Markram - We will bowl first. Played one night game here, though the wicket got better through the game. Hopefully, the bowlers will do well and give us a smaller score. A bit of dew, not a lot, we'll not complain about it if it does come, the ball will slide onto the bat better. We've regrouped after the last match - one change, Corbin Bosch is back in place of George Linde.

Pitch Report: Dew is definitely going to be a factor, says Shaun Pollock. The pitch has a good grass covering and looks quite hard. Slower balls and variations could be the way to go for pacers, given their success previously on this surface. He concludes, though, saying it looks like a belter and that it should be a high-scoring game.

STAT: This is the first meeting between New Zealand and South Africa in T20 World Cup since 2014. South Africa have won all the four previous meetings between the two sides (2007, 2009, 2010, & 2014).

Form, foes, and fables - South Africa enjoy a spotless record against New Zealand in the T20 World Cups, and the fact that they haven’t met since the 2014 edition is striking. New Zealand do not have happy memories in Ahmedabad, getting bowled out on their third-lowest T20I score of 66 in 2023. South Africa have seen it all here, a win, a loss and even a Super Over in the previous game. They lead 11-7 overall against New Zealand in this format, but just one victory in the last five meetings keeps this clash unpredictable and adds plenty of spice. Both teams, whenever they meet, have produced several classics in all forms, so let's hope this one stays true to that.

STAT: This is the first meeting between New Zealand and South Africa in T20 World Cup since 2014. South Africa have won all the four previous meetings between the two sides (2007, 2009, 2010, & 2014).

Teams:

New Zealand (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Tim Seifert(w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy

South Africa (Playing XI): Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi

Cutthroat group? Group D was billed as a maze. Turns out, two teams brought the map. New Zealand and South Africa sit pretty with two wins each, already nudging the Super 8 door open. This is no longer about staying alive. It is about arriving with authority. One more win and the table almost settles itself. Afghanistan were meant to complicate the script, but for now, they are the pause between two dominant narratives. The runners-up of the previous edition, South Africa, now run into the quietly efficient New Zealand at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium. On that note, hello and a warm welcome to our coverage of Match 24 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2026.

MC: "Is this the first dead rubber (or the closest thing to possible to one) of this tournament?" -- Calling it a dead rubber might be doing disservice to the other teams in this group. But both teams know that they have some margin for error tonight.

Anurag Uniyal: "In their previous nail-biter, the South Africans hardly looked pleased. They won't be as at ease as the Kiwis -- there's a point to prove and momentum to build heading into the Super Eights. Meanwhile, New Zealand seem poised to carry on their relentless charge. Expecting a good contest tonight! "