India and South Africa entered the Super Eights with an unbeaten record in the group stage and when they clash on Sunday (Feb 22), it would be a rematch of the 2024 T20 World Cup final where Team India emerged victorious. But South Africa’s head coach Shukri Conrad thinks India would be under “lot of pressure”.
Speaking ahead of their first Super Eight clash in the 2026 T20 World Cup, Conrad said the pressure will be on the defending champions more than the Proteas.
“There’s so much scrutiny, especially a side like India. They’re going to be under a lot of pressure to make the semifinals and obviously go on and make the finals as well,” Conrad was quoted saying after South Africa’s training session. “Hopefully we can expose them and make them vulnerable under that pressure,” he also said.
When asked about the threat Abhishek Sharma poses top of the order despite the opener getting out for three successive ducks. The Indian team management has backed Abhishek to succeed with the Proteas coach also not being dismissive about the opener’s form.
“I think we all talk about the pressure of playing against the top side, but we’re not quite aware of what the pressures they are under. I’m not, for one, suggesting that a guy that has three ducks in his last three matches comes under pressure for his place in his side. No.”
India have had a good record in recent times against South Africa when they toured India in December 2025, where the hosts clinched the T20I series 3-1 with one match being a washout. But for Conrad, results in bilateral series hardly have an effect on World Cup match-ups.
South Africa have looked formidable in this World Cup so far and Conrad believes the team that handles pressure better stands a good chance of winning the contest. Moreover, South Africa have the firepower, be it batting or bowling challenge India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
