The psychological tug of war ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 stage has, in essence, been set in motion. South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad, however, got the ball rolling by throwing the first jab at the reigning world champions, India.
This Sunday, on February 22, Shukri Conrad, the head coach of the South African team, insinuated that the incredible pressure and the expectation of winning at home could be a double-edged sword for the “Men in Blue” in the bubbly atmosphere of the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Despite both teams being undefeated going into the Super 8s, the Proteas coach feels that the pressure of securing a semi-final spot on home turf has made India “vulnerable. ”
📍 Ahmedabad
Super 8s prep in full swing 💪#TeamIndia | #T20WorldCup | #MenInBlue | #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/oFPuWD1vaN
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 21, 2026
Why Conrad Believes India Is Vulnerable In Ahmedabad
Shukri Conrad held a press conference in Ahmedabad, which was basically a lesson in mind games. He pointed out that South Africa, while they do respect India as the favourites, the Proteas are determined to “unmask” them, and they will do so by using the hostile ground environment against the home team.
Conrad believes that his team’s performance during their recent tour of India in late 2025 justifies his confidence.
Although they were defeated in the T20I series 3-1, the coach is still convinced that the “fervour and hostility” they experienced on that trip has made his team perfectly ready to face a pressure-cooker situation of a World Cup Super 8 match.
“There’s so much scrutiny, especially in a side like India. They’re going to be under a lot of pressure to make the semi-finals and obviously go on and make the finals as well, hopefully we can expose them and make them vulnerable under that pressure.” Conrad said.
Conrad’s Surprising Stance On Abhishek Sharma’s Form
Quite unexpectedly, Conrad did not join the critics who were attacking India’s opener Abhishek Sharma, who is facing a rough patch of three ducks in the last three innings. While the Indian media has publicly questioned Abhishek’s spot in the probable XI, the South African coach cautioned against letting go of the world’s best, ranked T20I batter.
“I think we all talk about the pressure of playing against the top side, but we’re not quite aware of what pressures they are under. I’m not, for one, suggesting that a guy who has three ducks in his last three matches comes under pressure for his place on his side. No.” he added.
