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After an entertaining group stage round filled with end-to-end action, the spotlight shifts to the Super 8 in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Defending champions India finished at the top of Group A with eight points from four wins in four games and have been placed in Group 1 of the Super 8 alongside South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe.
Gautam Gambhir’s men will begin their Super 8 challenge with a clash against South Africa on Sunday in Ahmedabad. Both sides will be motivated to go all out given the importance of this fixture and the high stakes. It is expected to be a blockbuster of a contest and fans are advised to cancel all their Sunday plans for this game.
Also Read: What happened when India played against South Africa last time in T20 World Cup?
3 things to watch out for in this game between India and South Africa
1. Scores to settle for South Africa
India vs South Africa has always been an intense fixture for both the sides, but it has become even more fierceful since the 2024 T20 World Cup final where India defeated the Proteas by seven runs. South Africa are highly motivated to settle scores with their Indian counterparts and will come out all guns blazing on Sunday. They almost won it before the Indian bowlers pulled it back for their side. The Proteas are now a completely different team after winning the Test mace at the World Test Championship and will come into this game with a bag full of confidence.
2. South Africa's firing top order vs India's dependable bowling unit
This game will present fans and pundits, especially neutrals, to witness the battle between South Africa's in-form top order and India's ever reliant bowling unit. South Africa have won all of their last four games courtesy of their power packed batting lineup while India’s bowling unit has earned them eight points so far. The likes of Aiden Markram, Quinton de Cock, and Ryan Rickelton have put together a series of good scores, but it remains to be seen if they can do it again against India’s Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, and Hardik Pandya who have cleanup multiple batting orders so far.
3. Captain vs Captain Contest
The most exciting thing to watch out for in this game will be the clash of the captains. Both the skippers have managed to keep their sides unbeaten throughout the group stages and will look to do the same in the Super 8 and beyond. Suryakumar Yadav has led his side from the front while scoring a couple of match winning innings. Aiden Markram on the other hand has also given a fantastic account of himself. Markram scored 86 (44) against New Zealand and led South Africa to a famous seven wicket win in Ahmedabad. India and South Africa have the two best captains in the competition and now it depends on who can keep the winning streak intact for their side and who falls prey to the other.
