Both sides topped their groups unbeaten, though neither was entirely flawless. India navigated a couple of collapses despite a perfect record, while South Africa survived two Super Overs against Afghanistan to progress.
With momentum and knockout positioning at stake, this contest could hinge on a few decisive individual battles.
Here are three matchups that could shape the game:
Abhishek Sharma vs Marco Jansen
Abhishek Sharma has become the face of India’s high-octane T20 reset. Yet this World Cup has been a jolt.
In three innings, he has faced just eight balls, been dismissed three times and is yet to score. That is a stark contrast to his reputation. Since the start of 2025, no batter with at least 10 matches has struck quicker than Abhishek’s 195.83 in the PowerPlay.
If he is to reset the narrative, he must counter Marco Jansen.
South Africa’s 6 ft 8 in left-arm all-rounder is a PowerPlay disruptor who can swing a game early. Since the start of 2025, Jansen has taken eight wickets in the first six overs of T20Is at a strike rate of 14.2, though his economy of 10.05 underlines the risk that comes with his aggression. He skipped the final group game against the UAE but was Player of the Match against New Zealand at the same venue, dismantling four of the top five with clever variations.
READ | India hopes to extend winning streak against a cruising South African unit
History, however, tilts towards the Indian opener.
Abhishek has taken 98 runs off 45 balls from Jansen in previous meetings, falling only once. In the December series, he struck 49 off 23 against him. In IPL 2025, he hammered 38 off 11 during a 141 off 55 for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings.
Varun Chakaravarthy vs Dewald Brevis
There is a strong case that Varun Chakaravarthy has been India’s standout performer so far.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Varun Chakaravarthy during a training session ahead of the World Cup match between India and Namibia.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
The mystery spinner is the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with nine wickets at 6.88 apiece. On surfaces offering grip, he has been difficult to line up. Six of those wickets have come in the middle overs, between 7 and 15, where he has conceded just 5.77 per over and struck every nine balls.
That phase is also where Dewald Brevis does much of his damage.
Brevis has not exploded yet in this tournament, but his numbers against spin remain elite. Since the end of the 2024 T20 World Cup, he has struck spin at 189.58, the fourth-highest rate among batters to face at least 50 balls. Between overs 7 and 15, that rises to 196.03.
Their head-to-head adds another layer.
In the recent bilateral series, Brevis scored 24 off 12 without being dismissed by Varun. But in their two earlier meetings, one international and one IPL clash, Varun removed him both times while conceding at under a run a ball.
Middle overs control versus middle overs aggression. That duel could tilt the innings either way.
Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav vs Keshav Maharaj
If there is one area India has not fully nailed yet, it is tempo against slower bowling.
Suryakumar Yadav, left, and Tilak Varma run between the wickets during a World Cup cricket match between India and Netherlands.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Suryakumar Yadav, left, and Tilak Varma run between the wickets during a World Cup cricket match between India and Netherlands.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
That puts the spotlight on Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 3 and 4. They are the middle-overs engines. They are also the phase South Africa will try to squeeze.
Against left-arm orthodox spin over the past year, Tilak strikes at 125.37 and Suryakumar at 143.47, both below their career rates. In this World Cup, those numbers dip further to 120 and 100. The slowdown is not dramatic, but it is enough to stall momentum.
Enter Keshav Maharaj.
The experienced left-armer thrives on control. If Tilak and Suryakumar share the crease, South Africa has a window to drag the game into a 7-to-15-over grind. George Linde remains an alternative if they want a similar profile with added depth.
The head-to-head is layered. Maharaj dismissed Tilak for a golden duck in their first meeting and needed just four balls in the next. Since then, though, Tilak has taken 51 runs off 23 balls from him without losing his wicket.
Suryakumar has never been dismissed by Maharaj. Their bilateral exchanges have been steady rather than explosive, 46 off 35. But at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Perth, Suryakumar flipped the script, smashing 25 off 12 with three fours and a six.
Published on Feb 22, 2026
Discover more from News Link360
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
