IND vs SA Super 8s review, T20 World Cup 2026: India handed wake-up call by mighty Proteas

If the opening match against the United States of America was seen as a muffled wake-up call, the encounter involving South Africa was a rude jolt. India’s winning streak in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup was finally snapped as the Proteas flourished at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The Men in Blue had their rivals hobbling at 20 for three, but the middle overs choke never happened. David Miller and Dewald Brevis stitched a kinetic 97-run partnership. And Varun Chakaravarthy’s mystery element was snuffed out as the left-right combination of Miller and Brevis remained busy.

A lack of discipline was evident too, as India conceded 11 extras. Even if in the death, the splendid Jasprit Bumrah pegged back the visitor, South Africa’s 187 for seven was a competitive score. The fans, tipping over 80,000, were in good cheer before it all went downhill for the defending champion.

Through this championship, India has tended to lose its opening wicket with hardly anything on the scoreboard. The highest first-wicket partnership so far has been the 25 between Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson against Namibia. Otherwise, it has always been a case of a single digit and an instant breach.

Abhishek Sharma’s sudden dip in form, evident in three zeros and a brief 15, has meant that the middle-order is often forced to salvage the innings. In a fickle arena that the T20Is are, Abhishek should be able to turn it around, but still, in a global tournament, there is not much elbow room.

Suryakumar Yadav has resigned himself to being the binding glue instead of being the force multiplier that the captain usually is. It is a direct reflection of the muddled top-order in which Tilak Varma is yet to fully get into his groove.

This young Indian outfit is obviously part of the selector’s long-term plan. Still, men like K.L. Rahul, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant have been kept out. Add to that the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and it is imperative for Suryakumar’s men to get past these massive vacant shoes.

Looking ahead, the think-tank has to figure out if it is prudent to bench vice-captain Axar Patel. The games against Zimbabwe and the West Indies are ‘must-win’ ones, especially after India’s Net Run Rate (NRR) plunged to -3.8. This still remains a good team, but some operational rust has to be quickly sandpapered away.

Published on Feb 23, 2026