The first match of the T20 World Cup 2026 is being played today between West Indies and South Africa at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium. Team India is also keeping an eye on this match, because its result will decide India’s future in the tournament. India would like South Africa to win. After winning the toss, South Africa has decided to bowl first.

South Africa’s playing 11

Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brewis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jensen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

West Indies playing 11

Brandon King, Shai Hope (captain and wicketkeeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Ford, Gudakesh Moti, Shamar Joseph.

The West Indies vs South Africa match to be held today in the T20 World Cup is very important, because if West Indies wins then India’s chances of going to the semi-finals will be very less. West Indies are currently on top in Group 1, the team has 2 points and a net run rate of +5.350. South Africa’s net run rate is +3.800, they also have 2 points.

The role of toss is going to be important in Narendra Modi Stadium. It is an afternoon match, so the decision to win the toss and bat first may prove to be correct. Chasing the target may be a bit difficult here. Both the last matches here have been won by the team batting first.

West Indies vs South Africa Head to Head

• Total matches: 26
• West Indies won: 14
• South Africa won: 12

Semi-final ticket of the winning team confirmed

West Indies or South Africa, whichever team wins today will secure its semi-final ticket. But India would like South Africa to win, because if West Indies wins then India’s chances of going ahead will be negligible.

West Indies vs South Africa match will start at 3 pm. The toss will take place at 2:30 pm. The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network. Live streaming will be on JioHotstar app and website.

West Indies and South Africa squad

West Indies: Shai Hope (captain), Johnson Charles, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Moti, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Brandon King.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, David Miller, Marco Yanson, Dewald Brewis, Tristan Stubbs, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Keshav Maharaj, Corbin Bosch, George Linde, Jason Smith, Enrique Norkhia, Kwena Mafaka.

Team India’s path to the T20 World Cup semi-finals is still difficult, they have to defeat Zimbabwe and pray that South Africa beats West Indies first. Before the Super-8 round, no one had thought that such an equation would be created, in fact it happened after India’s big defeat by 76 runs against South Africa. It was Pakistan’s Mohammad Aamir who had earlier said that South Africa and West Indies would qualify for the semi-finals from Group 1. After this statement he was criticized a lot. Now Aamir has once again made a prediction before the India vs Zimbabwe match.

Many predictions of former Pakistan player Mohammad in T20 World Cup 2026 have come true. Before the Super-8 round, he had said on the Pakistani show that ‘he does not think that India will reach the semi-finals. Because except the match against Pakistan, India’s batting was not good in every match. After this, Team India lost to South Africa due to its poor batting.

What did Mohammad Aamir say now?

Mohammad Aamir has again reiterated his point before the India vs Zimbabwe match. He said, “I am still saying that India will not reach the semi-finals.” Let us tell you that if South Africa loses today then West Indies will confirm their place in the semi-finals. Then if India and South Africa win their next matches, then the second semi-finalist will be decided on the basis of net run rate. Team India’s net run rate is still bad.

Statement was also given regarding Abhishek

Before the start of T20 World Cup 2026, Mohammad Aamir had given a controversial statement regarding Abhishek Sharma. He had said that Abhishek is a slugger. He doesn’t know how to stop balls. After this, Abhishek was out on zero thrice in the tournament. Even in Super-8, he could score only 15 runs.

T20 World Cup 2026 is now nearing its end, except England, no team’s place in the semi-finals is confirmed yet. Talking about Group 2, England has qualified, Sri Lanka is officially out. New Zealand can go ahead on its own, but this is not the case with Pakistan. Let us explain to you how Salman Ali Aga and team can now reach the semi-finals.

There are still 2 matches left in Group 2 in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super-8 round. The next match is England vs New Zealand on 27 February and the last match is Pakistan vs Sri Lanka on 28 February. New Zealand has won one out of 2 matches and 1 has been cancelled. New Zealand is at second place in the points table with 3 points. The net run rate of the Kiwi team is +3.050. Pakistan has lost 1 out of 2 matches and one of their matches has been cancelled. Pak team has 1 point and net run rate is in minus (-0.461).

If New Zealand defeats England in the match to be held on Friday, they will get 5 points and will come on top in the points table. England with 4 points will slip to second place and Pakistan will be out of the semi-final race. Because even after winning the final match, Pakistan will reach only 3 points. But if England defeats New Zealand then Pakistan’s hopes will remain alive. Know then how big a victory would be required.

Pakistan’s equation for going to semi-finals

If England beats New Zealand by 15 runs, then Pakistan will need to win against Sri Lanka by more than 55 runs. If England wins by just 1 run then Pakistan will need to win by 69 runs.

If England beats New Zealand by 50 runs, then Pakistan will have to win against Sri Lanka by 20 runs. In this situation, while chasing the target, Pakistan will have to register victory before 17.5 overs.

Pakistani cricketers are known for their loudness. Without talking about statistics, he just reads the praises of his team’s success in any match, and feels embarrassed after the defeat. Something similar happened with Shoaib Akhtar, who before the match on Tuesday had expressed his wish that Pakistan should defeat England badly today. He also spewed venom against India, saying, “We will be happy if India is out of the T20 World Cup 2026.” Now his reaction after Pakistan’s defeat is going viral. His own statement is becoming a cause of embarrassment for him.

What did Shoaib Akhtar say first

On a show on Pakistan channel, Shoaib Akhtar said before the match, “If England plays so badly today, we can take these 2 points and qualify by defeating Sri Lanka. There will be no limit to our happiness if India gets out of this tournament.”

Akhtar’s tone changed after the match

When England defeated Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar, sitting on the show of the same channel, raised questions on the captaincy of Salman Ali Aga. Although during this time his voice was very low, he was depressed and was not even able to speak properly. Pakistan, which wanted to see India out of the tournament, is now in a bad situation.

Shoaib Akhtar before and after the game

• Shoaib Akhtar before the start of the game – If England play this badly we’ll happily take the 2 points and our joy will know no bounds if India get knocked out and we make it to the semi-finals.

• Shoaib Akhtar after the game -… https://t.co/brkXCyaKH7 pic.twitter.com/WzaZzenSxN

— 10 (@Loyalsachfan10) February 24, 2026

Pakistan’s veteran Saqlain Mushtaq was also reading the ballads of Pakistan team before the match, he had said that this team can defeat England because it has the strength. After the match he also raised questions on his team’s strategy.

Gems of Shoaib Akhtar and Kudrat Ka Nizam (Saqlain Mushtaq)

Before the Start of the Game :

• Shoaib Akhtar – If England play this badly we’ll happily take the 2 points and our joy will know no bounds if India get knocked out and we make it to the semi-finals.

• Saqlain… pic.twitter.com/wk4qK5q3oM

— 10 (@Loyalsachfan10) February 24, 2026

Now if New Zealand wins both its next matches, then it will not make any difference whether Pakistan wins its next match. Pakistan needs New Zealand to lose both its matches and they should defeat Sri Lanka.

Pakistan is not yet out of the race for the semi-finals in the T20 World Cup 2026, although many fans believe so. Although now Salman Ali Aga and team has become dependent on the results of other matches as well, but their hopes are still alive. Let us explain to you how Pakistan can now reach the semi-finals.

The first match of the Super-8 of T20 World Cup 2026 was between Pakistan and New Zealand, which was washed out due to rain. After the toss, it started raining heavily, due to which the match had to be abandoned without any ball being bowled. Both the teams got 1-1 points, but Pakistan lost its second match. With the good bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan was moving towards winning this match, but Harry Brook’s century turned the tables.

England has reached the semi-finals from Group 2 with 4 points. Now there is a fight between New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to become the second semi-finalist. Pakistan has played 2 matches of Super-8. After one loss and one draw, Pakistan has 1 point, their net run rate is minus (-0.461).

How can Pakistan reach the semi-finals?

Equation 1: If New Zealand loses both its matches (Sri Lanka and England), then Pakistan will have to win only the match against Sri Lanka. With this, New Zealand will have only 1 point, Sri Lanka will have 2 points and Pakistan will have 3 points.

Equation 2: If New Zealand loses one of its two matches, and Pakistan beats Sri Lanka. In this situation Pakistan and New Zealand will have 3 points each. Then whichever team has a better net run rate will be the second semi-finalist of this group.

If this happens then Pakistan will be out

If New Zealand defeats England and then Sri Lanka, then this team will have 5 points. Pakistan will reach only 3 points even after defeating Sri Lanka, that is, if New Zealand wins both its matches then Pakistan will be out of T20 World Cup 2026.

England cricket team created history by winning the match against Pakistan on Tuesday. England has become the first team to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup for the fifth consecutive time. In the first match of Super-8, England defeated Sri Lanka and in the second match Pakistan. Captain Harry Brook played a century against the Pakistan team, for which he was chosen Player of the Match.

England became the first team to do so

England has become the first team to reach the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the fifth consecutive edition. In 2016, the team reached the finals, where West Indies defeated them and won their second title. In its next edition (2021) also, the team reached the semi-finals, where the team could not reach the final. In 2021 also, England was eliminated after losing in the semi-finals.

In 2022, England won its second T20 World Cup title by defeating Pakistan in the final. In the last edition also, the team had reached the semi-finals, where Team India defeated them. This edition was won by India.

England has also reached the semi-finals in the ongoing edition (2026) of the T20 World Cup. With this, England also equaled Pakistan’s world record.

England has reached the semi-finals a total of 6 times

Earlier, England had won its first T20 World Cup title in 2010. Apart from this, the team could not reach the semi-finals in 4 editions (2007, 2009, 2012 and 2014). England equaled Pakistan’s world record in terms of reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup the most number of times. England and Pakistan have reached the semi-finals 6 times each. Team India has reached the semi-finals 5 times.

what happened in the match

Talking about the match, Pakistan had scored 164 runs while batting first. Liam Dawson took maximum 3 wickets, Jamie Overton and Joffra Archer took 2-2 wickets. While defending the target, Shaheen Shah Afridi got off to a good start, dismissing Phil Salt on the very first ball. In the third over, he took a big wicket in the form of Jos Buttler and also sent Jacob Batal (8) to the pavilion cheaply. England’s 4 wickets had fallen at the score of 58, but England captain Harry Brook’s century turned the tables. Brook scored 100 runs in 51 balls and England won by 2 wickets.

Now every match of T20 World Cup 2026 is do or die for the Indian cricket team, but victory alone is not enough to reach the semi-finals. The future of Suryakumar Yadav and team also depends on the results of other matches. Net run rate will play an important role, so Team India needs a big win against Zimbabwe. Let us explain to you in simple language what should happen so that India qualifies for the semi-finals.

Team India’s next match is against Zimbabwe on 26th February, in which Suryakumar Yadav needs not just a win but a big win. Because after this India’s clash is with West Indies. In the form West Indies are in, it will be difficult to achieve such a big win against them. In the first match of Super-8, South Africa defeated India by 76 runs, due to which India’s net run rate has become -3.800.

South Africa’s net run rate is +3.800, while after the big win of 107 runs, West Indies’ net run rate is +5.350. There is every possibility that there will be a net run rate issue between any two teams, which will decide who will go ahead and whose journey will end. Right now India is standing far behind in terms of net rate.

How big should India’s victory be?

If Team India scores 220 runs while batting first against Zimbabwe, then they should restrict Zimbabwe to 120 or less. By winning by a margin of 100 or more runs, India can come ahead in the game of net run rate, India will have to ‘dominate’ in this match. However, Zimbabwe has defeated big teams like Australia and Sri Lanka in the league stage, so it will not be easy to do this.

If Zimbabwe team bats first then India will have to chase very quickly. If Zimbabwe scores 150 or 160 runs then Team India will have to chase it before 11 or 12 overs. With this, India’s net run rate can go up significantly.

understand with example

If Zimbabwe scored 160 runs while batting first. If Team India achieves this target in 10 to 12 overs, then the net run rate can increase from +4 to +5. Whereas if Zimbabwe scores more than 180 runs, then India should register a win before 15 overs, this will also be a good improvement in the net run rate.

Indian equation

Equation 1: If Team India defeats Zimbabwe and West Indies, then India will get 4 points. But along with this, it is necessary that South Africa defeats West Indies, this will leave only 2 points for the West Indies team. In such a situation, India and South Africa will be the two teams to qualify for the semi-finals.

Equation 2: If West Indies beats South Africa, then India should register a big win over Zimbabwe. This win should be by a margin of more than 100 runs, or a quick chase. Then defeat West Indies also, efforts should be made to make this also a big victory. In such a situation, India and West Indies will have 4 points each. South Africa will qualify for the semi-finals by defeating Zimbabwe, while the team with better net run rate among India and West Indies will be the second finalist.

But if Zimbabwe defeats South Africa, then the top-2 teams with better net run rate between India, West Indies and South Africa will play in the semi-finals of T20 World Cup 2026.

The Pakistan vs New Zealand match was abandoned without any balls being bowled due to rain, after which both the teams had to be content with 1-1 points. However, one aspect of this is that one team has lost 1 point, which could have got full points by winning. Well, here we are telling about the Pakistan team captained by Salman Ali Aga and how the team can now reach the semi-finals.

Pakistan cricket team had won 3 matches in the group stage, this team lost only the match against India. Pakistan’s opener Sahibzada Farhan is in excellent form, he is the batsman who has scored the most runs (220) in the ongoing edition. Usman Tariq has also impressed so far. Although New Zealand is also a strong team, but looking at the pitch conditions, Pakistan seemed to have the upper hand.

The top 2 teams of 4 groups of the league stage are playing in the Super-8 round of the T20 World Cup. They have been divided into 2 groups, each group has 4-4 teams. Each team has to play 1-1 match against every team in its group, after which the top-2 teams will qualify for the semi-finals. Pakistan now has to play England and Sri Lanka in Super-8.

• 24 February, vs England
• 28 February, vs Sri Lanka

Now how can Pakistan reach the semi-finals?

Although Pakistan is not dependent on any team right now, they have to win both their matches. If this happens then Pakistan will qualify for the semi-finals, because in this situation New Zealand will be the only other team which will be able to reach 5 points along with Pakistan.

But if Pakistan loses a match, or their another match is cancelled, then also a problem will arise. In such a situation, Pakistan will have 3 points, then they will have to depend on the performance of other teams. Even then such a situation can arise that only one team is ahead of Pakistan. But it is difficult to make this equation. Whereas Salman Ali Aga and team would like to win both their matches and qualify for the semi-finals without any problem.