Let’s be very clear that South Africa and New Zealand are the only two teams in the ongoing T20 World Cup who can give India a massive run for their money with their batting alone.
India may have some of the best T20 bowlers today but the fact of the matter is that their batting is what the opposition fears the most. Any opponent with strong batting stands a very good chance against India, who begin their Super 8s campaign against South Africa in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Not long ago, the Proteas lost 3-1 in India, but they have shown many times that they can on their day match the Indian batting firepower. Twice in four matches – one of them a loss – they scored in excess of 200. In the next ODI series, they even chased down 359, and once they chased down almost 350.
Players like Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Marco Jansen, David Miller Dewald Brevis and Corbin Bosch – all part of the ODI and T20I setups – can really match the Indian batsmen.
Then India did not have a great group stage. Yes, they won all their matches but their performances didn’t quite match their reputation as the most devastating T20I team in the world against lesser teams like USA, Namibia, Netherlands and Pakistan. The United States and the Netherlands particularly terrorized them.
Suryakumar Yadav’s men cannot afford to undertake another outing of this kind. For the first time in this tournament, they face a top-class opponent, and if they are not on top form from the start, South Africa could punish them severely. Conversely, if they can beat South Africa, regardless of how they win, it will be a huge boost to their title defence.
Ever since their near defeat to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, the South Africans have been hurting. Which is understandable. They have not won a single World Cup yet, be it T20I or ODI, despite having some of the best players of their generation in their ranks. Against India that day, they were, by all appearances, on the verge of breaking the jinx before Jasprit Bumrah and company shattered their dreams in the last few chases. Nothing would satisfy them more than beating India and derailing their Super 8s campaign on Sunday.
India has to be very careful. It’s a game that could have dire consequences for them, if they lose.
