T20 WC: South Africa make four changes against UAE
18 Feb 2026

In their final group-stage match of the T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa has won the toss and opted to field against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday.

The decision was influenced by weather conditions that could lead to rain interruptions during the game.

South Africa captain Aiden Markram said he wanted to bowl first due to a tacky pitch.

Notably, the Proteas have made as many as four changes to their XI.

Four changes for South Africa
Team alterations

Having already qualified for the Super Eights with three successive wins, South Africa has made four changes to their XI.

They have brought in Jason Smith, Kwena Maphaka, and Anrich Nortje for their first tournament appearances. George Linde also returns to the team.

The players rested include David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, and Lungi Ngidi.

Changes in the UAE squad as well
Squad adjustments

The UAE has also made two changes for their last World Cup match. Dhruv Parashar and Muhammad Farooq have been included in place of Syed Haider and Simranjeet Singh.

Captain Waseem said the changes were made to "give the side more balance."

This match will be a chance for South Africa to test their strategies ahead of the Super Eight stage, while the UAE plays their final match of the tournament.

Here are the playing XIs
XIs

South Africa (Playing XI): Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Jason Smith, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka.

UAE (Playing XI): Aryansh Sharma (wk), Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Sohaib Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Arfan, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Farooq, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah.

South Africa's impressive run in the tournament
Performance review

South Africa started their campaign with a resounding 57-run victory over Canada.

They then played a nail-biting tie against Afghanistan, which they won in the second Super Over.

Their most significant win came against New Zealand, where they won by seven wickets to secure qualification for the Super Eight stage of the tournament.