Kagiso Rabada will lead South Africa's pace attack in the T20 World Cup 2026.
South African pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has turned down the “favourites” tag on the defending champions, India, just hours before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 tournament opener.
“You cannot say that there’s a favourite in this tournament. I think it’s up for grabs. Anyone can take it. We’ll be putting our hand up for that for sure. I’m not too sure what’s going on in the Indian camp. This tournament is right open,” stated Rabada.
Considering the winning juggernaut of the Indian team, backed by a blazing momentum, the majority of the experts and fans have backed India’s title defense as the most likely outcome of the upcoming T20 championship. However, the prime Proteas seamer, Rabada, has contradicted the argument, emphasising the runner-up’s chances to fulfill their unfinished plans.
“What we’ve done in the past will most definitely give us motivation and belief that we can do it again. In saying that, this is a new tournament, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t take any confidence away from what you’ve done in the past,” added the bowler.
The Gujarat Titans (GT) pacer also put forward another aspect of the game. He noted that many of the players are well aware of the playing conditions and can strategise their plans accordingly by virtue of their experience of participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“A lot of overseas players who have played in the IPL are not as foreign to the conditions as they might have been in the past. That’s what the leagues have done. The guys are really in tune with the conditions,” he said.
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Since a narrow six-run defeat in the last T20 World Cup final, the side has endured a rough patch in the format so far. They have managed to win only two out of their last 11 series, with the latest victory coming against the West Indies in the last week of January 2026. Moreover, both of these wins against Pakistan and the Islanders have come on their home soil.
The team also dealt a few injury blows before entering the mega ICC event, as Donovan Ferreira and Tony de Zorzi have been ruled out of South Africa’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad. However, the last edition’s finalists will kick off their campaign against Canada on February 9 in Ahmedabad. Previously, they lost the warm-up fixture against India by 30 runs.
Aiden Markram (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, and Tristan Stubbs.
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