T20 World Cup 2026: Defending Runner-Up South Africa Faces Canada in Ahmedabad Showdown

Ahmedabad. The ninth match of the T20 World Cup 2026 will be played today between the reigning runner-up South Africa and Canada at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will start at 7:15 PM.

This is the second match of Group D. Both teams are facing each other for the first time in the T20 format.

Previously, these two teams faced each other only once in an ODI match. In that match of the 2003 World Cup, South Africa defeated Canada by 118 runs.

In the warm-up matches, South Africa suffered a 30-run defeat against India. Meanwhile, Canada was defeated by Italy and Nepal.

• Major Responsibility on De Kock and Markram

The responsibility of scoring big will rest on South African batsmen Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram. De Kock has scored 2,914 runs in 102 matches. His highest score is 115 runs, and his strike rate is 142.7.

In bowling, the team will rely on experienced players like Lungi Ngidi and Corbin Bosch. Ngidi has taken 78 wickets in 57 matches. His best bowling performance is 5 wickets for 24 runs.

• Canada Hopes Pinned on Dhaliwal and Zafar

Canada's hopes will rest on batsmen Navneet Dhaliwal, Yuvraj Samra, and Harsh Thaker. Dhaliwal has accumulated 1,197 runs in 45 matches. His highest score is an unbeaten 70 runs.

Bowling-wise, Kaleem Sana, Saad Bin Zafar, and Shayan Sharma can play a significant role. Zafar has claimed 72 wickets in 65 matches. His economy rate is 5.98.

• Pitch Report

The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium is of a high-scoring nature. Scores exceeding 220 in the first innings have been recorded here three times. A score of 185 batting first is considered a winning total here.

So far, 8 matches have been played here, with the team batting first winning 5 times and the team chasing winning 3 times.

• Weather Conditions

The weather in Ahmedabad on Monday is expected to be very favorable for cricket. The sky will be clear and sunny during the day, which might lead to slightly higher temperatures. The weather will become pleasant as evening approaches, offering relief from the heat to players and spectators. There is no chance of rain.

• Probable Playing-11 of the Teams

South Africa: Aiden Markram (Captain), Quinton de Kock (Wicketkeeper), Rassie van der Dussen, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, and Keshav Maharaj.

Canada: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (Captain), Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (Wicketkeeper), Dillon Heyliger, Harsh Thaker, Shayan Sharma, Jaskaran Malhotra, Saad Bin Zafar, and Kaleem Sana.