New Zealand is all set to clash with the South Africa cricket team for one of their group matches of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Needless to say, it is going to be a fierce rivalry on the field.
The following article contains a detailed preview of the New Zealand vs South Africa T20 World Cup match. The article will include their probable playing XI, best probable player, head-to-head record and broadcast details of the game, as well as weather and pitch report on the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
New Zealand vs South Africa T20 World Cup Match Preview:
Match Date: New Zealand vs South Africa match will be played on Saturday, February 14.
Venue: The match will be held at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Timing: The match is scheduled to start at 7.00 PM IST.
New Zealand vs South Africa full squad:
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell (injured), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Marco Johnson, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Mfaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs.
New Zealand vs South Africa Probable XI:
New Zealand’s probable playing XI: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi and Matt Henry.
South Africa Probable Playing XI: Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brewis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansson, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi.
Key battles of New Zealand vs South Africa T20 World Cup match:
Quinton de Kock vs Lockie Ferguson:
Both are surprising elements from their respective camps. While Quinton de Kock can be aggressive right from the start of the innings, Lockie Ferguson can shatter the stumps with his sharp face or pace variations. The South African opening batsman has been in top form since the start of his T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. New Zealand should field him first to limit South Africa’s batting prowess.
Ryan Rickelton vs. Matt Henry:
Like Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton is another batsman who has been consistently scoring runs for South Africa. With the new ball, Matt Henry can work for the New Zealand cricket team. Henry may not have the pace of Ferguson, but he has good ball control. The sooner he takes the wicket of Rickelton, it will be helpful for the Kiwi team.
Tim Seifert vs Lungi Ngidi:
It could be a big challenge to handle the New Zealand opening batsman if he gets on the field immediately. The unpredictable nature of the batsman makes him more dangerous on batting-friendly tracks. The South African fast bowler, with all his experience, knows how to deal with these types of situations. Ngidi may be the best man to help South Africa get rid of Tim Seifert quickly.
Key players for New Zealand vs South Africa:
New Zealand’s key players: Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner.
South Africa’s key players: Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Johnson.
New Zealand vs South Africa broadcast in India: The New Zealand vs South Africa match will be telecast live on Star Sports network across India.
Online Live Streaming in India: ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches can be live streamed on Jio HotStar app with an active subscription.
New Zealand vs South Africa T20 World Cup Match Weather and Pitch Report – India
New Zealand vs South Africa: Weather report in Ahmedabad:
According to AccuWeather, there is no chance of rain throughout the day today. The sky is expected to remain clear at the time of the match, which is scheduled to start at 7.00 pm IST. The temperature is expected to be around 25 to 26 degrees Celsius during match hours.
Pitch report of New Zealand vs South Africa at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad:
Probably this will be a batting friendly pitch, where batsmen from both sides can get a chance to score good runs. Due to the flat nature of the pitch, fast bowlers can try many pace variations there to deceive the batsmen. After the power play, the spinners of both the teams will try to take maximum advantage of the pitch. Due to dew at night, the bowlers may have to struggle a lot during the second innings of the match.
New Zealand vs South Africa head-to-head records:
In T20Is, New Zealand and South Africa faced each other on several occasions. According to statistics, these two national cricket teams faced each other a total of 18 times in this format, where South Africa won 11 matches and New Zealand won 7 matches. But in recent times, the Blackcaps have displayed a high level of cricket against the Proteas. South Africa defeated New Zealand thrice in the T20 World Cup.
| match | new zealand won | South Africa won | Drag | no results |
| overall | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| In T20 World Cup | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| in the last 5 matches | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
New Zealand vs South Africa Last 5 Match Results:
1. 26 July 2025—New Zealand beat South Africa by 180/5. 177/6, Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series Final – New Zealand won by 3 runs
2. July 22, 2025—New Zealand beat South Africa by 135/3. 134/8, Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series-New Zealand won by 7 wickets
3. July 16, 2025—New Zealand beat South Africa by 173/5. 152, Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series-New Zealand won by 21 runs
4. 17 February 2017—South Africa 185/6 beat New Zealand by 107, New Zealand tour of South Africa (2016/17)—South Africa won by 78 runs
5. 16 August 2015—New Zealand 177/7 beat South Africa 145/8—New Zealand won by 32 runs
New Zealand vs South Africa T20 World Cup Match – Conclusion:
Overall the statistics show that South Africa has a better chance of winning against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2026. But some recent matches suggest otherwise, with New Zealand getting ahead of South Africa. Judging by the recent statistics and match results, the upcoming New Zealand vs South Africa match is going to be a 50-50 contest; Both teams have equal chances of winning the competition.
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