Canada won the toss and elected to bowl in Match 9 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The Group D encounter was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 9, 2026. This match marked the first-ever T20I meeting between these two sides. South Africa entered the 2024 T20 World Cup as finalists and heavy favorites. Canada looked to cause an upset after going unbeaten in the Americas Regional qualifiers.
South Africa fielded a strong lineup with captain Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock opening the batting. David Miller and Tristan Stubbs added firepower in the middle order. Canada was led by 23-year-old captain Dilpreet Bajwa. Young opener Yuvraj Samra and spinner Ansh Patel were their key players to watch.
South Africa posted an imposing total of 213 runs for 4 wickets in 20 overs. This was the highest score at the T20 World Cup 2026 so far. Aiden Markram led the charge with a brilliant 59 off 32 balls. David Miller and Tristan Stubbs added an unbeaten 75-run partnership to finish the innings on a high.
Match Summary
| Team | Score | Overs |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 213/4 | 20.0 |
| Canada | 156/8 | 20.0 |
| Result | South Africa won by 57 runs | |
South Africa Posts Massive Total
South Africa got off to a flying start with openers Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock. The pair added 70 runs for the first wicket in just 6.5 overs. De Kock scored 25 runs off 22 balls before Dilpreet Bajwa bowled him. The ball dipped late and flicked the inside edge onto the stumps.
Markram continued his aggressive approach and reached his fifty in just 28 balls. He smashed 10 fours and 1 six during his brilliant innings of 59 runs. Ryan Rickelton joined Markram, and the pair took South Africa to 104/1 at the halfway mark. Ansh Patel then struck three times in quick succession.
Patel dismissed Markram, Rickelton, and Dewald Brevis in the space of 14 balls. His googly troubled all three batters. South Africa slipped from 126/1 to 138/4 in just over two overs. However, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs steadied the ship with an unbeaten 75-run partnership.
Miller scored 39 runs off 23 balls with 1 four and 3 sixes. Stubbs played some baseball-style shots and finished on 34 off 19 balls. His final shot was a big slog over long-off to take South Africa past the 200-run mark. The total of 213 was the highest at this World Cup.
Top Batting Performances
| Batter | Team | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram | South Africa | 59 | 32 | 10 | 1 |
| Navneet Dhaliwal | Canada | 53* | 41 | 5 | 1 |
| David Miller | South Africa | 39* | 23 | 1 | 3 |
| Tristan Stubbs | South Africa | 34* | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| Harsh Thaker | Canada | 33 | 29 | 2 | 2 |
Canada Struggles In The Chase
Canada’s chase got off to the worst possible start. Captain Dilpreet Bajwa fell for a golden duck on the very first ball. Lungi Ngidi bowled a perfect length delivery that caught the edge and went through to the keeper de Kock. Canada found themselves at 0 for 1 after just one ball.
Yuvraj Samra tried to counter-attack with 12 runs off 8 balls, including 3 fours. However, Ngidi struck again to remove him in the third over. Nicholas Kirton followed soon after, miscuing a pull shot to mid-on. Kagiso Rabada then cleaned up Shreyas Movva, leaving Canada reeling at 45 for 4.
Navneet Dhaliwal and Harsh Thaker staged a recovery with a 69-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Dhaliwal played some beautiful shots and reached his fifty off 39 balls. Thaker supported well with 33 runs off 29 balls before Ngidi dismissed him with a slower ball.
Marco Jansen picked up two wickets in the 18th over to end any hopes of a Canadian comeback. Saad Bin Zafar and Jaskaran Singh fell in consecutive balls. Dhaliwal remained unbeaten on 53 runs but ran out of partners. Canada finished at 156 for 8, losing by 57 runs.
Top Bowling Performances
| Bowler | Team | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lungi Ngidi | South Africa | 4 | 31 | 4 | 7.75 |
| Ansh Patel | Canada | 4 | 31 | 3 | 7.75 |
| Marco Jansen | South Africa | 4 | 29 | 2 | 7.25 |
| Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 3 | 28 | 1 | 9.33 |
| Dilpreet Bajwa | Canada | 4 | 40 | 1 | 10.00 |
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Key Performer: Lungi Ngidi
Lungi Ngidi delivered a match-winning spell for South Africa with figures of 4 for 31 in 4 overs. He struck on the very first ball of the chase to dismiss Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa for a golden duck. Ngidi returned to remove Yuvraj Samra and Nicholas Kirton in quick succession.
His slower ball variation also accounted for the well-set Harsh Thaker. The tall fast bowler used the conditions well and gave Canada no chance to build momentum. His four-wicket haul was the best bowling performance at this World Cup so far.
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