South Africa were runners up in the last edition.
The South Africa squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 was announced on January 2, with Aiden Markram continuing as captain. The Proteas have included Quinton de Kock, who recently came out of retirement, and a 20-year-old Kwena Mphaka. But they left out senior pro, Tristan Stubbs, from the squad.
South Squad features a nice blend of youth and experience as seven players from the T20 World Cup 2024 squad retain their places. In contrast, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Jason Smith, Donovan Ferreira, Kwena Maphaka, George Linde, and Corbin Bosch will play their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup.
Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, and Corbin Bosch make up a prominent and versatile pace attack. Keshav Maharaj will be the frontline spinner supported by George Linde, and Markram and Donovan Ferreira can also roll their arm over.
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Tristan Stubbs, who has become a mainstay in the Proteas side across formats, has been struggling with form in white-ball cricket. In his last seven T20Is for South Africa since January 2025, Stubbs scored only 152 runs, averaging 21.71 with a modest strike rate of 121.6. He hit just 13 fours and two sixes, which shows a significant decline in form.
The problem becomes even more glaring when you look at his recent performances. Tristan Stubbs has tallied 88 runs in his last six T20 innings, averaging 17.6 with a poor strike rate of 108.64. In his last three innings, he managed only 28 runs, averaging 14 and with a strike rate of 103.70. He has hit just one four during this stretch.
Considering South Africa are set to play all their group stage games in India, Tristan Stubbs also has a poor record in T20Is at the venue. In 7 matches, Stubbs has scored only 46 runs, with an average of 11.50 and a strike rate of 112.19, highlighting his struggles in typical subcontinent conditions.
This might have prompted Cricket South Africa to leave him out of their T20 World Cup 2026 squad. In his place, they have backed Donovan Ferreira as their backup wicket-keeper option, who has earned a reputation as a pinch-hitter in the middle overs.
However, the 25-year-old boasts decent experience of playing in the Indian Premier League. He has been a part of the IPL for four seasons and played 32 matches, amassing 700+ runs.
The Proteas have never won the men’s T20 World Cup, but managed to reach the final in the last edition, where they lost to India by a close margin.
South Africa are placed in Group D of the T20 World Cup 2026 along with Afghanistan, New Zealand, Canada and the UAE. The T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on January 7, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Aiden Markram (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, and Jason Smith.
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