🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: M24: SA vs NZ at Ahmedabad🏏 - Page 6

Mitchell Santner - It looks like a pretty good wicket. We'll just try to get some runs on the board, hopefully not too much dew later on, but I think we can bowl as well. Hopefully it's not as much dew later on, but I think we probably would have bowled as well. (starting with back to back wins) Yeah, it's been good. I mean, you know, I've just seen throughout the tournament, there's no easy wins anymore. So I guess we did what we could. But again, tonight, it's a massive game again. We win, you kind of cruise, so I guess that's our thinking. (is this the game they had marked in their calendar) Yeah, it is. We know how good South Africa are and they've shown that for a long time now. And for us, it's, yeah, it's a big game. And again, we know they're a quality side, so yeah, I guess those small improvements that we've done from games one to two and then taken into this game. We've got the same team.

Aiden Markram - We will bowl first. Played one night game here, thought the wicket got better through the game. Hopefully the boys can bowl well up front and give us something that we can chase a bit later. Slight dew, not heaps. It can be a bit hit and miss at times (on the dew), so there was a little bit of dew that night. If there's more tonight, I mean, we won't complain about it, but either way, we just felt like under the lights, slightly later, it came out a bit better. That was tough (on the game against Afghanistan). Physically, emotionally, I think the boys took a bit of a hit, but I mean, it's good to have those close games early on in the competition. Especially when you're stretching quite a bit of good if you get over the line. So we were grateful for that, but yeah, it's about us having regrouped over the past couple of days and having to do our best. Yeah, we've got one change. So Corbin Bosch comes back and Linde misses out.

South Africa have won the toss and have opted to field

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

Battle of the heavyweights! Ahmedabad gets ready for a cracker as two heavyweights battle against one another in the final game of Saturday's tripleheader. It is New Zealand taking on South Africa with the winner certifying a spot for itself in the Super Eights. Easy peasy so far - The Kiwis have just eased through so far. Chased down 183 with consummate ease against Afghanistan while made a mockery of the target of 174 against the United Arab Emirates.

However, by their own admission, they have conceded a bit more than they would have liked, in both matches. The batting has looked in supreme shape, with Tim Seifert leading the charge. They were in a bit of a strife against the Afghans but rallied out of that one. A tough recent past - It has not been a good few months for the Black Caps. A horrendous 1-4 series loss to the Indians. Coming out victors against West Indies at home, but despite winning 3-1, challenged in every match, being labelled as the closest home series ever for the Kiwis.

Prior to that, losing series to England and Australia, both in home conditions. So if we do the math - from October 2025, New Zealand have played 12 completed T20Is prior to the World Cup but won just 4. That may be a reason why their bowling has been under the pump but these two wins, through solid batting would have eased their nerves a bit. They had arranged a tour to India for getting acclimatized to the conditions and despite being beaten black and blue by India, at least, they have started well in this tourney.

From New Zealand's point of view, while a win puts them in the Super Eights, a loss need not be too harmful for them. With Afghanistan losing both their opening matches, and Canada and the United Arab Emirates to come after this, the Black Caps would be confident of making it through to the next stage. However, if they make it on the back of three straight wins, it would make them feel a lot happier. The Kiwis move from Chennai to Ahmedabad, which has already seen two high-scoring matches. So the bowling will once again be tested and if the Kiwis are bowling second, the dew could definitely play a part.

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).

Home, sweet home - Talking about Ahmedabad, South Africa will find themselves at home. This is their third match of this tournament and all the three at one venue - so they will have a heads up about the conditions as compared to New Zealand. Post the 2025 World Test Championship final, the Proteas believe that they have now shed that dreaded 'C' word. Yes, it did appear for the Ladies in the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup but we will stick with the Men for now. They came agonizingly close of lifting the trophy in 2024 and believe that they can go again and do one step better this time. A promising Indian tour - Like the Kiwis, the Proteas too arranged a tour for themselves to Indian shores, albeit a bit earlier than the Black Caps. It started with a stunning 2-0 clean sweep in Tests, to a respectable 1-2 loss in the ODIs, before culminating into a 1-3 defeat in the T20Is. So they too, can argue that they have a fair knowledge about the grounds in India.

The 'C' word strikes again! Escape from jail. That's what South Africa would deem their previous match against Afghanistan. They were nearly made to revisit that 'C' word in that clash. The game should have been done in normal time, in the first ball of the 20th over. But as fate would have it, one mistake cost them and it almost took the match away. Glass is half full - However, the opportunist always looks at the water filled in the glass and not with the space left. The fact that they managed to come out of that Afghanistan game, albeit through huffing and puffing, would have given them a lot of confidence.

Mental recovery - Recovery in any sport is not just physical. A lot of it is mental and emotional. The Saffas would be happy with the 2 points they got from that Afghanistan game, but they would have been drained to no end. Have they mentally recovered post that thriller on Wednesday? Only time will tell. History beckons Saffas!

The match officials and the players are out in the middle for the national anthems. South Africa's first and then followed by that of New Zealand. Ish Sodhi got very emotional as the New Zealand anthem was being played and Ian Smith on comms quips that 'he isn't even playing'

Tim Seifert and Finn Allen are at the crease. Tim Seifert is on strike. Lungi Ngidi will open the attack

The match officials and the players are out in the middle for the national anthems. South Africa's first and then followed by that of New Zealand. Ish Sodhi got very emotional as the New Zealand anthem was being played and Ian Smith on comms quips that 'he isn't even playing'. We're done with the formalities - South Africa break from the huddle and they're ready with their positions. Out come the two New Zealand openers - Lungi Ngidi to start for South Africa, a slip in place

0.1

4

Lungi Ngidi to Tim Seifert, FOUR, edged and four, fuller length delivery and well wide of off - Seifert saw the width and went hard on the drive, but the ball shapes away, catches the edge and flies past the lone slip, gives third man no chance

https://www.instagram.com/p/DUu-IY9iAH4/

1

4 1 1 0 0 1 (7 runs)

NZ 7-0

Tim Seifert

6(5)

Finn Allen

1(1)

Lungi Ngidi