Ahmedabad, Feb 22 (NationPress) Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, and David Miller are back in the South African lineup as captain Aiden Markram won the toss, deciding to bat first against an unchanged India in a crucial Super Eights match of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

Both squads arrive for this encounter having remained unbeaten in their respective groups. South Africa has triumphed in all three of their league matches held in Ahmedabad, while India is competing at this venue for the first time in this tournament.

"It appears to be a fantastic wicket—much drier than the previous one we faced here—so we don’t expect early tackiness. We believe it will be a superb surface throughout, and we hope to set a significant score. The boys are in excellent form, which is always a plus,” explained Markram after winning the toss.

“We’re not taking that for granted, but it’s a good space to be in at the moment. The players have been putting in considerable effort behind the scenes to sustain that form and confidence. We’ve been fortunate to have played a few games here previously.

“This pitch is different this time—black soil—but typically this is a high-scoring ground and an exciting venue. As players, that’s what we look forward to, and we hope tonight will be no exception,” Markram added.

India's captain Suryakumar Yadav stated they are fielding an unchanged playing eleven, which means vice-captain Axar Patel has been benched, with Washington Sundar holding onto his spot. “I was actually hoping to bat first, but it’s okay, and we’re happy to bowl first. It’s quite tough on Axar Patel, but we’re going with the same team—a tactical choice, so no alterations from the last match,” he remarked.

Discussing the preparation for this match, Suryakumar noted, “We played here a few days ago, and when they bowled first, there was some assistance in the wicket, so why not leverage that? It’s a significant game, a great opportunity for everyone to step up and demonstrate their character.

“We expect a full house tonight, and we aim to deliver a great game for them. This is the business end now, so you need to bring your A-game. Although we have three league matches, it’s essential to deliver that impact from the first ball, and I believe tonight is the right moment.”

“We aim to bring strong energy on the field, adhere to our good habits, and accept whatever result comes our way. The pitch seems quite similar to the prior black soil surface we played on, just one strip away, not much change,” he concluded.

Playing XIs:

India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakaravarthy

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