India Vs South Africa Live Updates, ICC T20 World Cup 2026: WC Final Rematch Takes Centre Stage In Super 8 Clash At Ahmedabad

If there’s one player who thrives when that 'ring of fire' of LED lights power up in Ahmedabad, it’s Hardik Pandya. 

The last time these two teams met in a T20I here (December 19, 2025), Hardik was absolutely destructive. He smashed a 16-ball fifty, the third-fastest for India, finishing with an explosive 63 off 25 balls. 

With the Indian top-order not yet showing it's full potential, Hardik may once again play a big-role against a familiar rival.

Nets turn into a highlight reel as Kung-Fu Pandya unleashes pure power ahead of Team India’s Super 8 clash vs South Africa. 🔥

ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup SUPER 8 👉 #INDvSA | SUN, 22 FEB, 6 PM pic.twitter.com/wN7o6ySC9y

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 20, 2026

The 'Crosshairs' have shifted! After squeezing England for 20 overs, Sri Lanka are now left gasping for some air as Jofra Archer and Will Jacks have tormented the co-hosts in the Powerplay

The pacer and spinner have picked up two wickets each to reduce Sri Lanka to 25/4 after 5 overs.

Archer struck first, getting rid of Pathum Nissanka in the 3rd over. Jacks then took two-in-two, sending back Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake off consecutive deliveries in the next over. Archer returned to get rid of the other opener in the 5th over with the equation completely changing inside the powerplay.

Sri Lanka need 125 runs in 90 balls, but with their top order back in the shed, the mission now looks like a steep mountain to climb. 

The air in Ahmedabad will carry the weight of history tonight, especially for the Proteas who suffered heartbreak the last time these two sides met in the T20 World Cup, competing for the trophy in the Final at Barbados in 2024. 

South Africa seemed to be in cruise control in that game at the 15th over mark with 30 runs needed off the final 30 balls and a rampaging Heinrich Klassen and an equally belligerent David Miller at the crease. However, two surgical overs by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya getting rid of Klaasen turned the tide. 

Suryakumar Yadav's miraculous catch on the long-off boundary to dismiss David Miller at the start of the final will remain the defining image of that game as India sealed a 7-run victory, lifting their second T20 World Cup title. It also extended South Africa's wait for a first-ever World Cup trophy. 

More recently, these two teams met in a five-match T20I series played in India in December 2025. India won the series 3-1. The final game of that series was played at today's venue, where India riding on Tilak Varma's 73 off 42 balls and Hardik Pandya's 63 off just 25 balls, posted 231/5. 

Varun Chakravarthy then took 4/53 in the second innings with Bumrah posting excellent figures too of 2/17 in a high-scoring game as India won by 30 runs. 

India and South Africa also faced each other in a warm-up game at the DY Patil Stadium ahead of the World Cup where Ishan Kishan blazed his way to a 20-ball 53 before retiring out. Tilak Varma scored 45 off 19 balls as India posted 240/5. 

Ryan Rickelton (44) and Tristan Stubbs (45*) fought back for the Proteas but they fell short by 30 runs with India restricting them to 210/7. 

England have finished with an under-par score at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy as the co-hosts Sri Lanka have restricted them to just 146/9 after 20 overs. 

Phil Salt (62) was the sole bright spot for England, with their next highest-scorer being Will Jacks (21) as just five batters managed to get into double-digit figures. 

Dunith Wellalage (3/26), Maheesh Theekshana (2/21) and Dilsan Madushanka (2/25) all exploited the conditions perfectly not allowing the English batters to settle at the crease. 

Sri Lanka will fancy their chances of chasing down this total, considering they comfortably chased down Australia's 181 at this very venue last week, with 8 wickets and 12 balls to spare. 

The India-New Zealand T20I series in India produced six 200-plus scores in just five matches. At the T20 World Cup 2026, 170 has become par, with the 200-plus mark breached just seven times in 40 matches. 

India themselves have only managed to cross the 200-mark once so far in the tournament, when they posted 209/9 against Namibia. With all the pre-tournament hype being centered around whether India will become the first team cross the 300-run mark in the tournament, we look at whether it's the ICC's pitches that have slowed down the formidable Indian Run Machine or whether there are other factors at play here. 

Read the full story here -T20 World Cup 2026: Have ICC Pitches Slowed Down India's Run Machine? The Numbers Say Yes

Co-hosts Sri Lanka look like a team on a mission in the tournament and it looks like England are set to become their latest victims. After ending Australia's hopes of qualifying earlier this week at this very venue, Sri Lanka is playing with a swagger in Pallekele, using their understanding of the surface to perfection. 

Dasun Shanaka won the toss and put England in to bat first. The plan seems to be working to a tee with only Phil Salt (62 off 40 balls) registering a meaningful score at the top of the order. 

Dunith Wellalage has been the tormentor in chief for England taking 3/26 as the Three Lions find themselves struggling at 106/6 after 15 overs. 

With Will Jacks and Liam Dawson at the crease, England will be hoping they'll add some much needed runs at the death to give their bowlers something to defend. 

Neither of these two teams have tasted defeat so far in this edition of the tournament. India are on a record winning streak in the T20 World Cup that began in the previous edition under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. 

The Men in Blue won all eight matches during the 2024 World Cup and have begin this edition in similar fashion with four wins out of four. Suryakumar Yadav's side will be looking to extend that record winning streak to 13 games. 

South Africa were on an eight-game winning streak in the T20 World Cup themselves until they were beaten by India at the 2024 Final. The Proteas have once again entered this tournament in top form winning all four of their games comfortably, including a dominant victory against New Zealand in the group phase.  

With the group stage complete, the tournament now moves into its decisive phase. The remaining eight teams have been split into two groups of four each, playing the others in a round-robin format.

The top two sides from each group will advance to the semi-finals, while the rest will exit the competition. With only three matches per team in this phase, the margin for error is minimal. Every result thus carries qualification implications.

India and South Africa will begin their Super 8 campaigns aware that an early win could shape the path to the knockouts.