‘Suryakumar Yadav can put South Africa under pressure’: Neil McKenzie explains importance of India captain and spin factor in T20 World Cup Super 8 clash

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Both teams are filled with power. Do you think it’s going to be a high-scoring affair?

You can see in the IPL the bowlers are under the pump, which highlights your quality bowlers that get away and bowl really well; it highlights their skills. The bowling, in terms of South Africa, they’ve got their blueprint, where India has got a lot more variation at their disposal. And it’s just how they implement that variation against the different match-ups. So, I’m hoping for a high-scoring game, but I’m hoping that the scores are pretty tight.

SA played in Ahmedabad in the group stage. How do you think that will help them?

So, for one box, India will obviously have home ground advantage. South Africa will be thinking, well, we’ve been here for the last couple of weeks. We know the venue really well. So that might cancel out.

Where India is slightly ahead of South Africa is that they’ve got a lot more variation in the spin department. But I don’t see that as being huge. It’s obviously a huge positive because you have all the variations, but it’s how you deploy them.

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SA won a double super over against Afghanistan. Do you think they are well-equipped to deal with crunch games?

It was a very bizarre cricket match where one team threw it, and one team gave it away or took it away and then threw it back to them. So it’s nice to get over the line. It’s like soccer. You have a few penalty shootouts or whatever it is. But these are two highly experienced sides (India and South Africa), and the rest of the sides in the competition are experienced sides. So I don’t think it gives them too much of an edge. But it is a really good momentum shifter for the South Africans to say, like in the big moments we’ve got through.

Will the lack of a frontline off-spinner hurt SA against India’s left-heavy line-up?

Markram is more than a useful off-spinner. Also, with the left-handers, you’ve got Lungi Ngidi who can bowl in the up front one or two, and then in the middle and the one at the back end. And his favourite ball is the slow ball into the wicket. So he is basically taking away from the left-handers as well. So they have got a lot of tools that they can use.

How do you think power-packed SA will cope with Indian bowling?

As I said, India is littered with some unbelievable cricketers. The big thing about that is they’ve got, you talk about matchups in T20 games, and generally what happens is the left-handed batters come in, you bowl your off spinners. So India has got three or four off-spinners that they can choose from. When the right-handers come in, your lefties and your wrist spinners, they come on. So they’ve definitely got all the tools to get your matchup in favour of the bowling side. Then you’ve got Bumrah. We know he’s probably the best death bowler in the world, obviously. But a lot of these guys would have played Bumrah before.

Will the Proteas win the tournament?

South Africa is playing really, really good cricket. There are a few South Africans who are in good form, but they’re going to have to win some key moments and some clutch games. There are a lot of good sides out there. There are probably six sides in the Super 8 that can win this World Cup.

Tanishq Vaddi is a Sports Writer with the online team of The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. He primarily covers cricket and is known for his in-depth analysis and technical reporting on the game. Professional Background Role: He covers a wide range of cricketing action, including international matches (Tests, T20Is), domestic tournaments (Challenger Trophy), and major cricket leagues (IPL, WPL). Education: Tanishq holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from MVSR Engineering College and a PG Diploma in English Journalism (Print) from the Asian School of Journalism. Experience: Before joining The Indian Express in late 2022, he gained experience covering the startup ecosystem at YourStory and worked as a copywriter at Story Digital. Key Areas of Coverage Tanishq’s writing often focuses on the technical and psychological aspects of cricket. His notable work includes: Technical Analysis: Explaining bowling actions (e.g., Simon Harmer’s bounce) and batting techniques (e.g., Ben Duckett’s sweep shot). Interviews: He has interviewed prominent figures such as former England player Nick Knight, bowling coach Rajib Datta, and mental health coach Paddy Upton. Statistical Comparisons: Detailed career analysis, such as comparing Shubman Gill’s early career stats with legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Regional Cricket: Reporting on developments in South Indian cricket, including the appointment of Gary Stead as the head coach for Andhra. Notable Recent Articles "IND vs SA 2nd Test: How did Simon Harmer beat Yashasvi Jaiswal with bounce?" (Nov 2025) "2026 Under-19 World Cup: Bowling coach outlines India's preparation" (Nov 2025) "Nick Knight interview: Joe Root will score big runs in Australia" (Nov 2025) "Gary Stead appointed as head coach for Andhra for the 25/26 season" (Sept 2025) "Jason Gillespie explains what makes Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins so special, and why reverse swing will be key with Kookaburra ball" You can follow his latest reports on the Indian Express website or via his Twitter handle @TanishqVaddi. ... Read More

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