South Africa have been the quiet destroyers of Group D. They hammered Canada, survived a double Super Over thriller against Afghanistan, and now face the United Arab Emirates in Match 34 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. A win here and the Proteas punch their Super 8 ticket with a game to spare. For UAE, it’s their last realistic shot to stay alive.
SA vs UAE — Match Info at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Match | 34th Match, Group D — ICC T20 World Cup 2026 |
| Date | Wednesday, February 18, 2026 |
| Venue | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Toss | 10:30 AM IST / 5:00 AM GMT |
| Start Time | 11:00 AM IST / 5:30 AM GMT |
| SA Captain | Aiden Markram |
| UAE Captain | Muhammad Waseem |
| Group D Standing | SA — 4 pts (NRR +1.425) | UAE — 2 pts |
Global Timings — When to Watch SA vs UAE
| Region | Start Time |
|---|---|
| India (IST) | 11:00 AM, Feb 18 |
| UK (GMT) | 5:30 AM, Feb 18 |
| Dubai/UAE (GST) | 9:30 AM, Feb 18 |
| New York (ET) | 12:30 AM, Feb 18 |
| Los Angeles (PT) | 9:30 PM, Feb 17 |
| Sydney (AEDT) | 4:30 PM, Feb 18 |
How to Watch SA vs UAE Live
Fans in India can watch the match on the Star Sports Network, with live streaming available on the JioHotstar app and platform. International viewers can follow on SuperSport (Sub-Saharan Africa), ESPN/Willow TV (USA), Sky Sport (New Zealand), and the ICC’s official website for live scores.
For live score updates and match analysis, follow our T20 World Cup 2026 live coverage on TechnoSports.
Team Squads
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Jason Smith, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, George Linde, Tristan Stubbs, Kwena Maphaka.
UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wk), Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, Simranjeet Singh.
Form & Pitch Report
South Africa rely on a fearsome pace battery including Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, backed by all-rounders such as Marco Jansen. The Proteas have won both their Group D games — including a dramatic double Super Over victory over Afghanistan.
UAE beat Canada in their last outing to stay alive, with Muhammad Waseem scoring 66* off 45 balls in their opening game against New Zealand. He is their standout threat.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium pitch is generally known to favor teams chasing under lights, largely due to evening dew. However, as an 11 AM day match, expect a more even contest — spinners may play a key role in the middle overs. The boundaries are on the smaller side, making life difficult for the bowlers, and posting a 200-plus total is imperative when batting first.
This high-stakes encounter is everything Twenty20 cricket was designed for — compact, explosive, and decisive.
SA vs UAE Prediction — Who Will Win?
South Africa are heavy favourites. New Zealand and South Africa have won both their matches and sit comfortably on four points each, while UAE are fighting to stay in contention. The Proteas’ depth in batting (de Kock, Miller, Brevis) and pace (Rabada, Nortje) is significantly superior.
Our Prediction: South Africa to win comfortably — likely by 7+ wickets or 40+ runs.
UAE’s upset window exists only if Waseem fires early and SA’s openers have an off day — but at Arun Jaitley under daylight conditions, Rabada and Nortje are almost unstoppable.
For more T20 World Cup 2026 predictions and fantasy tips, visit our complete T20 WC 2026 guide on TechnoSports.
