After losing to India in the final at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, South Africa placed second in the previous T20 World Cup in 2024. Under Aiden Markram’s direction, they intend to persevere in 2026.
The 15-man team for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, which India and Sri Lanka will co-host from February 7 to March 9, was revealed by Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Friday, January 2.
For the first time in their careers, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, and Jason Smith have been selected for a T20 World Cup squad.
Ottneil Baartman and Reeza Hendricks, who participated in the most recent five-match Twenty20 International series against India, have been excluded. But Tristan Stubbs’s exclusion was the most startling. Despite playing in just two games versus India, he was unsuccessful. Nonetheless, the 25-year-old has an impressive Indian Premier League (IPL) record, and the Proteas may have benefited from his understanding of subcontinental conditions.
Ryan Rickelton, a batsman and wicketkeeper, is another name absent from the team. Donovan Ferreira has been selected by South Africa to replace Quinton de Kock as the backup wicketkeeper.
After playing two Twenty20 Internationals against India after recovering from an injury, Nortje has been able to maintain his spot in the team.
The roster also includes the seasoned Kagiso Rabada, who will need to contribute significantly if the Proteas are to win the 20-team competition. Due to a rib ailment, the right-arm fast bowler was unable to participate in the white-ball tour against the Men in Blue.
The 15-person South African team for the 2026 T20 World Cup:
Aiden Markram (C), Quinton de Kock, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Corbin Bosch, Donovan Ferreira, David Miller, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Jason Smith, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje.
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