Ahmedabad, February 8 South Africa will need to improve their recent form to challenge for the title as they begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Canada, a team lacking match experience but aiming to make a strong impression, on Monday.
Since losing the 2024 T20 World Cup final to India in June 2024, South Africa has only won 12 out of the 32 games they have played.
However, they now have the confidence of having won a world title, having achieved victory in the World Test Championships last year.
Ryan Rickleton and Tristian Stubbs have been included in the squad despite injuries to Donovan Ferreira and Tony de Zorzi.
Keshav Maharaj will lead the spin attack, and Kagiso Rabada's performance will be crucial on the batting-friendly pitches in India and Sri Lanka.
Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis will be key players for the batting side.
South African Aiden Markram said his team is not burdened by the previous edition's defeat to India, despite controlling the run chase in Barbados.
"Yes, the previous World Cup is in the past. It happened two years ago. We have played a lot of cricket since then. You have to earn that right (of being a title contender) in your group stage first, and then consistently play well.
"It's a competition where any team can beat any team. It takes one or two special performances from individuals, and it can change the game. So, obviously, we are here to win. We are motivated to win, especially after 2024. But, that's not the only reason for our motivation," Markram said.
Canada, on the other hand, has not played much high-quality cricket in the last four months. They will be competing in their second consecutive T20 World Cup, with 23-year-old Dilpreet Bajwa taking over the captaincy from Nicholas Kirton.
They won all six of their Americas Regional contests, including the final, during this qualification cycle.
"It's a proud moment for all our players. Most of our players are from India. And as you mentioned, the conditions in Canada are tough, and thanks to our board, we had a pre-tour in Sri Lanka and prepared well.
"We also had a couple of practice games where we tested our combinations. As a captain, I feel we are well-prepared, but it's a day game. Whoever the day is, it will happen," Bajwa said.
In Colombo, Zimbabwe open their campaign against Oman.
Zimbabwe has a point to prove after missing the last edition of the tournament.
While there are plenty of familiar faces, including captain Sikandar Raza and wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor, it is the youngest player in the squad who played a key role in securing Zimbabwe's place in the African Qualifier.
Brian Bennett is 22 years old, and he was in excellent form on home soil, scoring three half-centuries and a hundred to help Zimbabwe qualify.
He followed this up with good performances in a tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in November, and he could be the key to Zimbabwe's surprise this time around.
Zimbabwe upset eventual finalists Pakistan four years ago and will be looking for a strong start against Oman before facing group favourites Australia in their second match.
Oman will be making their fourth appearance in the T20 showpiece. They have won two of their previous three appearances, including beating Ireland in their debut game in 2016.
Jatinder Singh will captain the side and open the batting, supported by vice-captain and wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla.
Oman's strength lies in their bowling, with Jiten Ramanandi, Sufyan Mehmood, and Nadeem Khan having all enjoyed success in the Qualifier.
The Squads:
Canada: Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Ajayveer Hundal, Ansh Patel, Dilon Heyliger, Harsh Thaker, Jaskarandeep Singh, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Shreyas Movva, Yuvraj Samra.
South Africa: 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, Tristan Stubbs.
The match starts at 7pm IST.