South Africa vs Afghanistan Playing 11, ICC T20 World Cup: George Linde and Noor Ahmad get a game as Proteas bat first

SA vs AFG Playing 11 Updates: Both the teams make one change each as they look to win the game in Ahmedabad

Updated: February 11, 2026 11:01 IST

While the Proteas enter the game as favourites, the upcoming fixture is expected to serve as a proving ground for Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan.

Following some heated clashes between countries like New Zealand-UAE, England-Nepal and India-USA, the stage for the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup is set to witness a heated contest between South Africa and Afghanistan.

Afghan skipper Rshid Khan won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. While Afghanistan have played Noor Ahmad in place of Zia-ur-Rahman, the Proteas have gone in with George Linde in place of Corbin Bosch.

South Africa vs Afghanistan ICC T20 World Cup: Playing 11

South Africa Playing 11: Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi

Afghanistan Playing 11: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan(c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

This time, after just one game Rashid Khan and Co find themselves facing an uphill task.

Afghanistan’s loss to New Zealand in their opening match has put them, in all likelihood, in a do-or-die situation against South Africa: if they lose, even the wins against Canada and UAE may not be enough to qualify for the Super Eight stage.

South Africa vs Afghanistan ICC T20 World Cup: Form guide

When looking at their form over the past five games, Afghanistan seems to have recently hit a roadblock in their performance while South Africa continues with their ‘hot and cold’ pattern.

Afghanistan LLWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)

South Africa WLWWL

South Africa vs Afghanistan ICC T20 World Cup: Head-to-head record

The head-to-head tally only solidifies the ‘performance gap’ between the countries, making the upcoming battle sound like a classic ‘David vs Goliath’ fixture. Afghanistan have faced South Africa three times in T20Is. On all three occasions, they were on the losing side.

Category	Details
Total Matches	3
South Africa Wins	3
Afghanistan Wins	0
Last Meeting	2024 T20 World Cup Semi-Final

Afghanistan will likely bank on ‘miracle’ performances from certain players in addition to a solid all-round performance to make the game count.

It may feel like Rashid Khan is not the same bowler he once was. But numbers tell a different story. Since the start of 2024, he has taken 52 wickets in 26 T20Is against full member countries Both his strike rate (11.3) and economy (5.83) in this period are better than his career numbers.

If Afghanistan are to qualify for the next round, they will need similar performances from their captain.

South Africa vs Afghanistan ICC T20 World Cup: Pitch Report

The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad usually supports batters and often produces high-scoring games. Spinners may find limited assistance, but fast bowlers who stick to good lines and lengths can still act as deciders of the game.

Teams batting first at the pitch generally score between 175 and 190 runs, suggesting a slight first mover advantage to the side that wins the toss.

This article was first uploaded on February eleven, twenty twenty-six, at twenty minutes past four in the morning.