New Zealand is all set to lock horns with the South Africa cricket team for one of their group matches of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Needless to say, it is going to be a fiery rivalry on the field.
The article that follows includes a detailed preview of the New Zealand vs. South Africa T20 World Cup match. The article will include their probable playing XI, best probable players, head-to-head record, and details of the broadcast of the game, along with the weather and pitch report at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
NZ vs SA T20 World Cup Match Preview:
Match Date: The New Zealand vs. South Africa match will be played on Saturday, February 14.
Venue: The match will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Time: The match is scheduled to start at 7.00 PM IST.
NZ vs SA Full Squads:
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell (injured), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
South Africa: 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.
NZ vs SA Probable XIs:
New Zealand Probable Playing XI: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, and Matt Henry.
South Africa Probable Playing XI: Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, and Lungi Ngidi.
NZ vs SA T20 World Cup Match Key Battles:
Quinton de Kock vs Lockie Ferguson:
Both are surprising elements from their respective camps. While Quinton de Kock can go berserk from early in the innings, Lockie Ferguson can shatter the stumps with his fast face or pace variations. The South African opener has been in top form from the beginning of their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. New Zealand should take him down first to limit the batting strength of South Africa.
Ryan Rickelton vs Matt Henry:
Like Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton is another batter who has been scoring runs for South Africa in a consistent manner. Matt Henry with the new ball can get the job done for the New Zealand cricket team. Henry might not have the sheer speed like Ferguson, but he has good control over his deliveries. As early as he can pick up Rickelton’s wicket, it will be helpful for the Kiwis.
Tim Seifert vs Lungi Ngidi:
The New Zealand opener can be a real deal to handle if he takes off instantly. The unpredictable nature of the batter makes him more dangerous on a batting-friendly track. The South African pacer, with all of his experiences, knows how to handle these kinds of situations. Ngidi can be the best man to help South Africa get rid of Tim Seifert quickly.
NZ vs SA Key Players:
New Zealand Key Players: Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner.
South Africa Key Players: Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen.
NZ vs SA Broadcast in India: The New Zealand vs South Africa clash will be broadcast live across India on the Star Sports Network.
Online Live Streaming in India: The matches of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 can be streamed live on the Jio HotStar app with an active subscription.
NZ vs SA T20 World Cup Match Weather and Pitch Report – India
NZ vs SA: Weather Report in Ahmedabad:
According to AccuWeather, there is no chance of rain throughout the day. A clear sky is expected during the match time, which is scheduled to start at 7.00 PM IST. During the match hours, the temperature is expected to be around 25 to 26 degrees Celsius.
NZ vs SA Pitch Report at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad:
Most probably, it will be a batting-friendly pitch, where batters from both sides can get the opportunity to score a significant amount of runs. Because of the flat nature of the pitch, pacers can try a lot of pace variations there to trick the batters. After the power plays, spinners of both teams will try to gain as much as possible from the pitch. Because of the dew factor during the nighttime, bowlers may have to struggle a lot during the second innings of the match.
NZ vs SA Head-to-Head Records:
In T20Is, New Zealand and South Africa faced off on multiple occasions. According to stats, these two national cricket teams confronted each other 18 times in this format in total, where South Africa got wins in 11 matches and New Zealand in 7 matches. But in recent times, the Blackcaps displayed a high level of cricket against the Proteas. In the T20 World Cup, South Africa defeated New Zealand 3 times.
| Match | New Zealand Won | South Africa won | Draw | No Result |
| Overall | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| In T20 World Cup | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| In Last 5 Matches | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
NZ vs SA Last 5 match results:
1. 26 Jul 2025—New Zealand 180/5 beat South Africa. 177/6, Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series Final—New Zealand won by 3 runs
2. 22 Jul 2025—New Zealand 135/3 beat South Africa. 134/8, Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series—NZ won by 7 wickets
3. 16 Jul 2025—New Zealand 173/5 beat South Africa. 152, Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series—NZ won by 21 runs
4. 17 Feb 2017—South Africa 185/6 beat New Zealand 107, South Africa tour of NZ (2016/17)—SA won by 78 runs
5. 16 Aug 2015—New Zealand 177/7 beat South Africa 145/8—NZ won by 32. runs
NZ vs SA T20 World Cup Match— Conclusion:
The overall stats suggest South Africa has better chances to win against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2026. But the recent few matches are suggesting differently, New Zealand is going over South Africa. Assessing recent stats and match results, the upcoming New Zealand vs. South Africa match is going to be a 50-50 contest; both teams have equal chances to win the contest.
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