India’s preparation for the big T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash against South Africa has raised many eyebrows. After finishing the group stage as an unbeaten side, India will face South Africa in their first game of the Super 8 round on February 22 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Only four players turn up for the practice session before big South Africa clash
In a surprising scene at the Narendra Modi Stadium, only four players turned up for the optional practice session with the head coach Gautam Gambhir and other supporting staff leading the camp on Saturday, February 21, as reported by India Today and Jagran News journalists.
Only four players at practice has surely started a big debate, with many questioning whether the Men in Blue have become overconfident after winning all of their four group stage matches against the USA, Pakistan, Namibia, and the Netherlands.
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Kuldeep Yadav was seen bowling in the nets before the crucial match against South Africa. The wrist-spinner bowled mainly to Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh. Both left-handers looked focused and hungry at the nets. Ishan was especially aggressive.
Gautam Gambhir watches closely as Rinku Singh tries something different
Ishan was smashing the ball with full power, trying to hit it straight down to the ground. There was a lot of discussion around “hitting in the V,” which means playing straight shots between mid-off and mid-on. The team management clearly wants a clean and powerful game in the Super 8 round.
Rinku Singh was also seen playing an interesting role during India’s optional training session. After batting, the finisher even tried some round-arm bowling in the nets ahead of the South Africa game.
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was also present at the session but mostly relaxed and observed the action. Meanwhile, Gambhir kept a close eye on Kishan’s batting.
Just 4 players in India practice today.
Kuldeep is bowling to Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan.
Suryakumar Yadav is hanging out.#INDvsSA #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/fgIqaj3Klo
— Kingshuk Kusari (@KusariKingshuk) February 21, 2026
Gautam Gambhir keeps a careful watch on Ishan Kishan.
There is a lot of chat about hitting in the V.
Ishan is hitting the balls with fierce force.#T20WorldCup @ITGDsports pic.twitter.com/jhsdA3MIdV
— Kingshuk Kusari (@KusariKingshuk) February 21, 2026
Optional practice session is on. Only 4 players have joined. Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh batting now. pic.twitter.com/L5GbN2urDX
— Vimal कुमार (@Vimalwa) February 21, 2026
India storm into Super 8 unbeaten
Meanwhile, India is entering the Super 8 stage in strong style. They won all four matches in Group A and finished at the top of the table. Their campaign looks perfect, but there are a few serious concerns. The biggest worry is Abhishek Sharma.
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He came into this tournament as the No. 1-ranked T20I batter in the world. Everyone expected him to give India powerful starts, but he shocked everyone with three ducks, which increased the pressure on the rest of the top order. Another problem is how batters play against off-spin bowling.
Left-heavy batting line-up under scanner
The top order has many left-handed batters like Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma, and other teams are using off-spinners early in the innings. The Indian batters failed to score runs quickly against the off-spinner, and many players lost their wickets to them.
India’s fielding was not great, as they have dropped around two to three catches in almost every game. In a big tournament, these mistakes can cost matches. It showed some confusion and lack of communication on the field. Now, they all have to fix these issues to get through the Super 8 stage.
