T20 World Cup 2026: Super Eights, Match 43, IND vs SA – Top 3 player battles to watch out for

Published - 21 Feb 2026, 22:30 IST | Updated - 21 Feb 2026, 22:54 IST

The Super Eights clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 between India and South Africa will be played on February 22 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with both teams arriving in strong form.

Defending champions India finished the group stage with four wins in a row and qualified for the Super Eights with immense confidence. They began with a closely contested 29-run victory over the USA, followed it up by beating Namibia by 93 runs, and then defeated arch-rivals, Pakistan, comprehensively. Their last league game against the Netherlands in the very same ground saw them clinch a narrow 17-run win.

New Zealand, too, won all four of its league games and finished first in its group. They opened with a 57-run win over Canada, then defeated Afghanistan in a double Super Over, followed up by edging past New Zealand comfortably, and defeated the UAE with ease.

The battle between Quinton de Kock and Varun Chakravarthy could play a decisive role when South Africa takes on India in the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup. In T20Is, the head-to-head numbers favour the spinner. Chakravarthy has bowled 10 deliveries to de Kock across two innings, conceding just 21 runs at an economy of 12.60 without picking up a wicket. While de Kock has played at a strike rate of 210 in this contest.

Both players enter the Super Eights in strong form. De Kock has looked solid since his return, scoring 59 against Afghanistan and playing a key hand at the top. Behind the stumps, his game awareness has stood out. On the other hand, Chakravarthy has been India’s strike bowler with nine wickets in four matches at an economy of 6.88.