Match overview

South Africa Cricket beat India Cricket by 76 runs in the T20 international at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on 22 February 2026. South Africa posted 187/7 after winning the toss and electing to bat. India's reply was over as a contest well before the halfway point of their innings: they slipped to 31/3 inside the powerplay and were eventually bowled out for 111 in the 17th over. DA Miller was named Player of the Match. The result ended India's five-match winning run in 2026 and handed South Africa a convincing victory in what has been a closely-fought bilateral history.

The margin of 76 runs is South Africa's most emphatic result against India in recent meetings. India had won four of the five previous encounters heading into this fixture, including a 101-run win at Barabati and a 9-wicket result at Vizag. South Africa's performance here, particularly in the middle overs, represents a meaningful reversal of that recent trend.

Venue and conditions

The Narendra Modi Stadium, with 95 T20 matches in its record books, is one of the most data-rich T20 venues in the world. Its average first-innings score sits at 206, and the average second-innings score is 196. Those numbers suggest a venue that rewards batting: chasing sides win roughly 53 per cent of the time here, which makes South Africa's decision to bat first a slightly counterintuitive one. Sixty per cent of toss winners at this ground opt to field, so South Africa went against the grain and it paid off.

In phase terms, the venue's powerplay average is 43 runs. South Africa scored 41 in theirs, losing 3 wickets. India scored just 31 for 3, five balls that framed the rest of the innings. The death-overs average at this ground is 38 runs; both sides were broadly in line with that, scoring 43 and 23 respectively, but by the time India reached the death phase the game was long gone. Middle-overs control was the real variable. South Africa's 103/1 in overs 7 to 15 was comfortably above any par figure; India's 57/5 in the equivalent phase confirmed how quickly the asking rate became unreachable.

How to watch

South Africa vs India T20 internationals are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can stream via Sky Go or pick up a day or month pass through NOW TV without a long-term contract. Match times in Ahmedabad run from approximately 14:00 IST, which translates to 08:30 GMT, meaning UK viewers can follow the full match on a Sunday morning without a late night. Sky Sports' schedule and any updates to broadcast arrangements are available on the Sky Sports website.

Recent form

South Africa arrived in this fixture having won four of their five most recent matches in 2026, beating UAE, New Zealand, and Canada before losing to West Indies and then bouncing back with a win over them. That sequence pointed to a side in reasonable but not flawless form. India's run heading in was more emphatic: five wins from five in 2026 against Netherlands, Pakistan, Namibia, USA, and New Zealand. India's form suggested momentum was clearly with the home side, which makes South Africa's performance here more notable. Beating a side that has won five consecutive matches, and doing so by 76 runs on their home ground, is a result with genuine weight in the context of this series.