AHMEDABAD, India: Afghanistan have won the toss and elected to field in their must-win Group D encounter against South Africa at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The match, taking place at the Narendra Modi Stadium, sees Afghanistan looking to bounce back after a defeat in their opening fixture, while South Africa aim to build on a strong start to their campaign.
Captain Rashid Khan’s side will be hoping the bowlers can make early inroads on what’s expected to be another batting-friendly surface, as they aim to keep their Super Eight hopes alive. South Africa, meanwhile, come into the game with momentum after a convincing win in their first outing at the tournament.
This fixture adds another chapter to a relatively young T20 rivalry. In men’s Twenty20 internationals, Afghanistan and South Africa have faced each other three times, with South Africa victorious on all three occasions.
Their most recent meeting was in the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final, where Afghanistan, having won the toss and batted first, were dismissed for 56 — their lowest T20 total — and South Africa chased it down with nine wickets in hand.
Afghanistan will hope history doesn’t repeat, as they seek a breakthrough result in this key World Cup contest.
