After being asked to bat first, West Indies were 83-7 at one stage before Romario Shepherd (52 not out from 37 balls) and Jason Holder (49 off 31 balls) had taken charge with a 89-run partnership for the 8th wicket. Lungi Ngidi picked three wickets (all of them coming over the span of eight balls) while Kagiso Rabada and Corbin Bosch also picked up two wickets each. West Indies had started well, plundering 29 runs in the first two overs before losing four wickets in the next two overs. In fact, WI lost their top four wickets while scoring 12 runs in the span of just two overs.

It’s a game that sees the T20 World Cup’s remaining two unbeaten heavyweights collide. With both sides eyeing a semi-final berth and India watching closely, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Proteas look to defend their perfect record at the Narendra Modi Stadium, but can the rampaging West Indies conquer the heat and the “home” favorites?

The contest pits the two remaining unbeaten teams in the T20 World Cup 2026. The game at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium is likely to give South Africa an edge only because of the Proteas’ recent familiarity with the stadium: four of South Africa’s five games have come at this venue. And they have won all of them, including the game against co-hosts India. West Indies, meanwhile, have never played a T20I in Ahmedabad.

West Indies lead the standings in Group 1 after a thumping 107-run win over Zimbabwe in Mumbai, but now need to beat the Proteas because their final game is against India, who are also chasing the semi-final spot. While the Narendra Modi Stadium has hosted five games of theT20 World Cup already, none of the previous ones have been afternoon games with a 3 pm start. This means that the heat will be a major factor early on and the dew factor will be negligible.

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Energy and buzz in South Africa camp after win vs India, but not getting carried away, says Keshav Maharaj

There is a renewed sense of belief in the South Africa camp after their morale-boosting win over India, but the left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj made it clear that the Proteas are staying grounded ahead of their crucial Super-8 clash against the West Indies on Thursday.

Reflecting on the mood in the dressing room, Maharaj admitted that the victory over India had lifted the spirits significantly. “There was a real energy and buzz in the camp after beating probably the best side in the competition,” Maharaj said during the pre-match press conference. However, he was quick to underline that the team is not allowing the win to cloud their focus. “But we’re not getting carried away. There’s still a lot of cricket to be played. It’s about dusting ourselves off, doing things better and focusing on the positives,” he added.

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