South Africa will kick off their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with their first group-stage game against the minnows Canada. SA vs CAN will mark Canada’s first game on Indian soil; this is their second ICC T20 World Cup after they topped the American T20 World Cup qualifiers.
The article that follows includes a detailed preview of the South Africa vs Canada in the T20 World Cup warm-up match, which includes the head-to-head record, their probable playing XI, and details of the live streaming of the game, along with the weather and pitch report at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
SA vs CAN T20 World Cup Match Preview:
Match Date: The South Africa vs Canada match will be played on Monday, February 9th.
Your daily dose of cricket!
Venue: The match will take place at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Time: The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM IST.
SA vs CAN Squads
South Africa Squad: Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, and Tristan Stubbs.
Canada Squad: Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Ajayveer Hundal, Ansh Patel, Dilon Heyliger, Harsh Thaker, Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Shreyas Movva, Jaskarandeep Singh, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, and Yuvraj Samra.
SA vs CAN Probable XIs:
South Africa Playing XI: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, George Linde/Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje/Lungi Ngidi.
Canada Playing XI: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Shreyas Movva/Kanwarpal Tathgur, Nicholas Kirton, Jaskarandeep Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Dilon Heyliger, Shivam Sharma and Kaleem Sana.
SA vs CAN T20 World Cup Match Key Battles
Dilpreet Bajwa vs Marco Jansen
The 23-year-old Canadian cricketer of Indian origin has been named the new skipper of the Canadian T20 World Cup squad. The right-handed batter is one of the handiest batters and one of the most consistent performers on the Canadian side. Marco Jansen, the lanky South African pacer, often has the knack to pick early wickets and will be effective against the right-handed Canadian skipper.
Yuvraj Samra vs Kagiso Rabada
Yuvraj Samra, another player of Indian origin, has been the most explosive option in the Canadian lineup. He has scored the most runs for the team over the past few seasons. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada will be taking up the new ball alongside Marco Jansen. Rabada is also effective in the powerplay with the new ball.
Quinton de Kock vs Kaleem Sana
Quinton de Kock reversed his international retirement and has been in fine touch for the Proteas. His return has made them almost an invincible side; however, he did not come out to bat against India in the warm-up match. Kaleem Sana usually takes up the new ball for Canada and is very effective against left-handed batters. He will have to dismiss de Kock if Canada wants any chance to make a winning start to the World Cup.
Ryan Rickelton vs Saad Bin Zafar
Ryan Rickelton, who was not part of the World Cup squad initially, was picked up after the West Indies series alongside Tristan Stubbs. Rickelton has shown some promising touch since the SA20 2025-26 series, and his only weakness is against spinners. The all-rounder spinner is effective with his slow left-arm spin, especially during the middle overs.
SA vs CAN T20 World Cup Match Key Players:
Canada Key Players: Dilpreet Bajwa, Yuvraj Samra, Nicholas Kirton, Saad Bin Zafar, and Kaleem Sana.
SA Key Players: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada
SA vs CAN T20 World Cup Match – Free Live Streaming and Telecast Details
TV Broadcast in India: The first World Cup game between Canada and South Africa will be broadcast live across India on the Star Sports Network.
Online Live Streaming in India: Fans from around the world can watch this live on their mobile phones and laptops with an active subscription on the JioStar app.
SA vs CAN T20 World Cup Match Weather and Pitch Report – Ahmedabad
SA vs CAN: Weather Report in Ahmedabad
According to Accuweather, temperatures in Ahmedabad fluctuate over a wide range. The temperatures can soar as high as 32 degrees, while they can also drop to as low as 17 degrees, which is a common trait of the desert city.
It will be a bright sunny day, and will have some partial cloud cover. However, there are no chances of precipitation, but the dew factor can have a role to play in the game. It will facilitate an entire stretch of a 40-over game.
SA vs CAN: Pitch Report at Narendra Modi Stadium
The Narendra Modi Stadium is currently one of the largest stadiums in India. It has massive dimensions and a very long straight boundary in the V. However, the ground is known to have some good pitches and is hence a very high-scoring venue. The average score on this venue is 204+. The ground has a very fast outfield, and if dew does not play a major role, then even batting second can become useful.
SA vs CAN Head-to-Head Records
Neither South Africa nor Canada have played a single T20I against the other. On the other hand, they will also play against each other for the first time in the history of the ICC T20 World Cup.
|
Stats |
Matches |
SA Won |
CAN Won |
Draw |
Tied |
NR |
|
Overall |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
In ICC T20 World Cup |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Last 5 T20Is |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
SA vs CAN T20 World Cup Match—Conclusion
South Africa will mark the beginning of their proceedings alongside Canada, who are making their debut on Indian soil. Canada have not been in fine touch in the T20 World Cup Qualifiers. The players in the best of touch are mostly included in the South African side, and they are likely to be the heavyweights in the match.
ALSO READ: Steve Smith paid double of Babar Azam, becomes Most Expensive Player in PSL History
