South Africa gain valuable insights in Ahmedabad, where they will play most of their T20 World Cup group matches

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South Africa’s preparatory tour of India may have ended in a 3-1 T20I series defeat, but head coach Shukri Conrad believes the experience has delivered crucial learnings ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. Adopting a “you either win or you learn” approach, Conrad was encouraged by the exposure his side received, especially with three of South Africa’s four group-stage World Cup matches scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The T20I series marked the end of a demanding ten-week tour for South Africa, spanning India and Pakistan, and followed their World Test Championship title defence. While results in the shortest format were inconsistent, Conrad stressed the importance of understanding conditions, opposition, and squad depth. He expects factors such as fog and dew to be less influential during the World Cup in February and March, potentially reducing the impact of the toss, while also anticipating high-scoring matches at the venue.

Inconsistency with both bat and ball defined South Africa’s white-ball performances in recent months. From being bowled out for a record-low 74 in the series opener to conceding big totals in the latter games, the team struggled to maintain balance. However, Conrad views the poor win-loss record in 2025 as data rather than disaster, noting that bilateral series have been used to experiment heavily with combinations. South Africa have fielded 31 different players in T20Is this year, second only to West Indies among Full Members.

The return of Quinton de Kock has been a major positive, with the left-hander finishing as one of the series’ leading run-scorers and strengthening his case for World Cup selection. Conrad indicated clarity in parts of the batting line-up, particularly in the middle order, where Dewald Brevis and David Miller are expected to be key figures. Selection decisions remain open at the top of the order and among the allrounders, an area Conrad values highly for squad balance.

Injuries to senior bowlers such as Kagiso Rabada and limited game time for Anrich Nortje were also factors, but Conrad is confident both will be vital to South Africa’s World Cup plans once fully fit. He emphasised careful workload management and believes the upcoming SA20 will provide match sharpness for fringe and first-choice players alike.

With the T20 World Cup squad set to be named in January and a short home series against West Indies to follow, Conrad is optimistic. While results have not gone South Africa’s way, he feels the team now has a clearer picture of conditions, personnel, and areas for improvement as they build towards a strong World Cup campaign.