As India is set to begin its Super 8 campaign in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026, former head coach Ravi Shastri has said that the team has prepared all the bases.
The Men in Blue have impressively qualified for the second stage of the tournament. They have won all four of their group games and will be keen to extend the unbeaten streak. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side started their campaign with a win over USA before defeating Namibia, Pakistan and Netherlands.
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Their next match is against South Africa. The Proteas have also won all their four games so far and India will face a tough challenge against them.
Ravi Shastri on India’s team combination:
Ahead of India’s crucial match against South Africa, Ravi Shastri said that no changes are likely to be made in the team management combination. After Abhishek Sharma was out for zero thrice in the group stage, there is a demand from many quarters to drop him in place of Sanju Samson. However, Ravi Shastri believes that this change is unlikely to happen in the Indian team.
“I think it will be largely the same team because you have the depth, you have all the bases, you have options, you need options,” Ravi Shastri said in the ICC Review.
“When there is dew around, you need extra bowling options. Whether it is Shivam Dube, whether it is Hardik (Pandya) who is bowling his full quota of overs, whether it is Tilak Verma who can swing his arm for an over or two, you need those options. I don’t think they will tamper with the team. I think the team that played in the last game was a good team.
He said, “I think the positive thing (for India) is that in every game there is someone who stands up. In the first game, sometimes it has been Ishan Kishan, sometimes Surya (Suryakumar Yadav). Tilak Verma has played his part. He has made a start but I still think his best is still to come.”
‘This is going to be a tremendous competition’
Ravi Shastri further said that the contest between India and South Africa is going to be tough. This will be the first World Cup match between the two teams since India defeated South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
While India will be slight favorites in the match due to their recent form and home advantage, Ravi Shastri immediately warned the hosts. The former cricketer turned commentator said that South Africa would not suffer any setbacks and described them as one of the strongest teams in the competition.
“There’s a lot of confidence and you know it’s going to be an exciting contest because South Africa are no slouch, they will definitely compete. And it’s a repeat of the 2024 World Cup final, so everyone is looking forward to it,” Shastri said.
“They have batting depth. India have batting depth. I think it’s an exciting encounter. These are two of the strongest teams, one might say, playing in this tournament, playing this game on the 22nd. Because you have to give them credit because they were World Cup finalists last time and they are playing to their potential at the moment,” he said.
Toss can play an important role in such matches- Ravi Shastri
The match between India and South Africa will be played in Ahmedabad. The Proteas have spent a lot of time in Ahmedabad in the ongoing tournament and they will be keen to make the most of it. They have played three of their four group matches here. Shastri said that South Africa would be well aware of the conditions in Ahmedabad.
He said, “100 per cent. When you are familiar with the ground, you are familiar with the angles, you know which boundary will be long, which will be short side.”
“So, you know what lengths to bowl and they will come well prepared, as will India. The thing to see is the amount of dew. Look, dew can make a lot of difference. The toss can play an important role in a game like this,” he said.
