South Africa Bowl First vs New Zealand in Crucial T20 World Cup Clash

South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bowl first against New Zealand in their T20 World Cup group stage match in Ahmedabad. Markram cited their experience that conditions improve for batting later in the night at the venue. New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner said he would have also chosen to field, but his team will now focus on setting a competitive total. Both teams enter the contest with two wins from two matches, though South Africa's last victory required a dramatic double Super Over against Afghanistan.

Key Points: SA vs NZ T20 WC: Markram Elects to Bowl | Playing XIs

  • South Africa wins toss and bowls first
  • Both teams have won first two matches
  • Corbin Bosch comes in for SA
  • NZ unchanged from previous match
  • Match played at Narendra Modi Stadium
2 min read

T20 WC: Bosch comes in as South Africa elect to bowl against New Zealand

South Africa wins toss, bowls first against New Zealand in T20 World Cup. Both teams unbeaten. Full playing XIs and captain quotes inside.

"s inside.QUOTE: It was tough, - Aiden Markram on the Afghanistan Super Over match"

Ahmedabad, Feb 14

In a clash between two-Test-playing nations, South Africa captain Adien Markram won the toss and elected to bowl first against New Zealand in Match 24 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

South Africa made one change for this match, bringing in Corbin Bosch, while New Zealand decided to field the same playing XI that featured in their previous match.

Markram said they have played a night game here, and they feel it gets better to bat as the night progresses. "It was tough," he says when asked about the match against Afghanistan that was decided in the second Super Over.

New Zealand skipper Santner said he would have fielded first, too, but now that they are batting first, the focus for them will be to put runs on the board. He says they know how good South Africa are, and intend to continue the small improvements they have made in each game.

Both teams have won their first two matches, though in contrasting style, as the Proteas were nearly knocked down by Afghanistan.

Playing XIs:

New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (capt), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy

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

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a neutral fan watching from Mumbai, this should be a cracker of a match. Both teams are strong. New Zealand's batting lineup looks solid on paper. Hope the Ahmedabad crowd gets a great game!
V
Vikram M
South Africa's bowling attack looks lethal with Rabada, Ngidi, and now Bosch. But they really need to work on their nerves in close games. That Afghanistan match was a heart attack for their fans! Need to finish strongly.
P
Priya S
Good to see the tournament in full swing in India! The stadium looks amazing on TV. As an Indian cricket lover, I enjoy watching these high-quality contests. May the best team win! 🏏
R
Rohit P
Respectfully, I think South Africa is being a bit too cautious by bowling first every time. Their batting, especially the middle order with Miller and Stubbs, is their strength. They should back themselves to set a target sometimes.
K
Karthik V
Excited to watch Rachin Ravindra bat! He has Indian roots and is such a talented player. Hope he scores big today. The toss might be crucial, but both teams are capable of winning from any situation. Let's play!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50