In a must-win encounter at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan won the toss and elected to bowl against South Africa on Wednesday in Ahmedabad.
Afghanistan, who reached the semi-finals in the previous edition, now find themselves on the brink of elimination after their earlier group-stage loss to New Zealand. Another defeat would effectively end their hopes of progressing, as wins against Canada and the UAE would not be enough to secure qualification if they lose to South Africa.
History is also stacked against the Afghans. They have faced South Africa three times in T20 internationals and lost on all occasions. Their most recent meeting, at the last T20 World Cup, ended in a heavy defeat, with South Africa bowling Afghanistan out for 56 and chasing the target with nine wickets in hand.
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South Africa, meanwhile, come into the contest brimming with confidence after a dominant win over Canada. Skipper Aiden Markram struck a fluent half-century, while David Miller and Tristan Stubbs added an unbeaten 75-run partnership to propel the side to the highest total of the tournament so far. Lungi Ngidi starred with the ball, claiming a four-wicket haul.
Speaking ahead of the match, Stubbs downplayed concerns about spin-friendly conditions in Ahmedabad.
“I’ve played a day game here and we [Delhi Capitals] scored 210 [203] and they [Gujarat Titans] chased it down. I don’t think everyone needs to jump on a spinner’s rag. It could be a really good wicket — there’s that chance too,” Stubbs said.
Teams
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
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