South Africa and the West Indies, the only remaining unbeaten teams in the 2026 T20 World Cup, face off at the Narendra Modi Stadium this Thursday in a Super Eight encounter that could effectively seal a semifinal berth for the victor. Both heavyweights arrive in Ahmedabad riding waves of momentum after clinical opening-round wins: the Proteas dismantled defending champions India by 76 runs, while the Caribbean side crushed Zimbabwe by 107 runs in Mumbai.
While England has already secured progress in the opposite group, Group 1 remains a "sink-or-risk-being-sunk" scenario. For the West Indies, this is a vital opportunity to strike a blow before a looming final-round knockout match against a wounded India. South Africa, meanwhile, looks to consolidate its fifth consecutive match at this venue by leveraging a middle order that has proven to be the most resilient in the tournament.
Both sides have been headfast in their approach. The West Indies currently lead the tournament's six-hitting charts (55), led by the form of Shimron Hetmyer. His 85 off 34 balls against Zimbabwe stands as the competition's premier of attacking batting.
South Africa counters with its own pace, with middle-order trio of Dewald Brevis, David Miller, and Tristan Stubbs. After being reduced to 20 for 3 against India, this group refused to retreat, powering their way to 187; a total that proved more than enough for their surgical bowling unit to defend.
South Africa: 5-0 (Unbeaten); 4-0 record at Ahmedabad this tournament.
West Indies: 5-0 (Unbeaten); most sixes hit in the tournament (55).
Surface: Red-soil Pitch 7; expected to offer true bounce and high-scoring potential.
History: South Africa has won 4 of 5 T20 World Cup meetings against the Windies.
While South Africa possesses the ground experience of playing their fifth match in Ahmedabad, the West Indies hold a unique psychological advantage. Five key members of the Caribbean squad, including Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford, and Gudakesh Motie, were standout performers in South Africa’s domestic SA20 league earlier this year.
Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj, who captained several of these players in the SA20, acknowledged the danger. "We know the danger they possess from an explosive point of view," Maharaj said. "It’s about simple plans and execution." The Windies’ familiarity with the Proteas’ primary weapons like Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi could negate the "home" advantage South Africa has built in Gujarat.
The Powerplay battle will likely decide the contest. Marco Jansen has been a revelation at this venue, claiming eight wickets in his last two outings. His ability to extract steepling bounce from the red soil was the catalyst for India’s collapse and will be the primary threat to the West Indies' aggressive openers.
Conversely, Shimron Hetmyer is currently the tournament’s most clinical boundary-striker. With 219 runs and a tournament-high 17 sixes, he epitomizes the "mighty T20 heritage" that saw the West Indies win their second world title on this very soil a decade ago.
Record: West Indies leads 15-14 in overall T20Is; South Africa leads 4-1 in World Cup meetings.
Marco Jansen: 11 wickets at 12.18; five Powerplay wickets in the last two games.
Sherfane Rutherford: Boasts the highest strike rate (165.34) of any batter with 200+ runs in the tournament.
NRR factor: West Indies holds a massive NRR advantage; South Africa leads the points table.
With a 3 PM start time, the scorching Ahmedabad heat will offer no respite. Maharaj emphasized the importance of communication, particularly with wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, in assessing the "tacky" nature of the red soil. "Every match here has been very different," Maharaj noted. "It’s about finding those one-percenters on the day."