Struggling Abhishek Sharma vs Keshav Maharaj, Miller’s rematch against Hardik:5 player battles to watch out for during India-South Africa Super 8 clash

India and South Africa are set to lock horns in what promises to be a fascinating Super 8 clash. Both teams are undefeated heading into the Super 8 stage, and hence, this contest promises to be a cracker of an encounter. India and South Africa will meet in a repeat of last edition’s final, which the Men in Blue, led by Rohit Sharma, had won. While India would be out to repeat the result, South Africa would eye redemption. From Abhishek Sharma to Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram to Varun Chakaravarthy, some of the best T20I players will be in action in this contest, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 22 February. There will be a few key battles, which could very well decide the outcome of the match. 5 key battles to watch out for in IND vs SA clash 1) Abhishek Sharma vs Keshav Maharaj Abhishek Sharma has had a nightmarish T20 World Cup so far. The no. 1 ranked T20I batter has had a hat-trick of ducks and is yet to score even a single run in this tournament. The left-hander has been dismissed by off-spinners in his last two innings, and now, he is expected to be up against one of the best in Keshav Maharaj. Abhishek and Maharaj have not had many face-offs in terms of numbers, but it is certainly a match-up to watch out for. With Abhishek having struggled to score so far, South Africa may introduce Maharaj early into the attack. Facing Maharaj might also bring the best out of Abhishek, with the explosive batter keen to return to form and be amongst the runs. 2) Arshdeep Singh vs Quinton de Kock This is a match-up that can dictate which way the momentum goes in the early part of India’s bowling innings. Two years ago, it was Arshdeep Singh who had dismissed Quinton de Kock for 39 runs in the T20 World Cup final. And the left-arm pacer will look to continue with his dominance against the South African opener. De Kock so far, has faced 48 balls from Arshdeep in T20Is and has scored 79 runs from them. But despite having gone for runs, Arshdeep has also managed to get him out four times, which is sure to be on the pacer’s mind come Sunday. 3) Ishan Kishan vs Marco Jansen Ishan Kishan has easily been one of India’s best batters in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far. His form has been one of the biggest highlights for the Men in Blue even as the remaining batters are yet to hit their top gear. Ishan, so far, has smashed 176 runs in four matches at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 202.29. Marco Jansen, on the other hand, has picked up seven wickets in three matches so far. The left-arm pacer also impressed with a four-wicket haul in South Africa’s win over New Zealand. 4) Varun Chakaravarthy vs Aiden Markram Now this is a battle that can determine the fate of the India vs South Africa match. Varun Chakaravarthy has been India’s highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far, and his match-up against the in-form Markram is going to be mouth-watering. Varun, statistically, has had the wood over Markram, conceding 35 runs off the 45 deliveries he has bowled to the South African captain while dismissing him four times. How Varun fares against Markram and the other South African batters might decide which team comes out on top. 5) Hardik Pandya vs David Miller Hardik Pandya vs David Miller might not be a pronounced battle in T20I cricket. But cricket fans would not forget that it was Hardik who had dismissed Miller in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, with Suryakumar Yadav taking that sensational boundary catch. Hardik has bowled 49 balls to Miller so far in T20I cricket and has conceded 57 runs off the same. What is impressive is that he has dismissed Miller six times and maintained a good economy rate of 6.97. Hardik winning another battle against Miller in Ahmedabad?