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Proteas batsman and Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain Tristan Stubbs has been left out of the Proteas team for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to begin in India next month.

After a period of poor performance in the green and gold, especially in the shortest format, Stubbs has been left out of South Africa’s team for the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Fast bowler Ottneil Baartman, along with batsmen Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen, will also be absent from the major competition.

T20 International (T20I) captain Aiden Markram will be at the helm of the team, which features first-time T20 World Cup selections for Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, and Jason Smith.

Smith, who debuted in T20I cricket in 2024, has a strike rate of 128.30. One of his latest impressive displays was during the T20 Challenge, where he scored an unbeaten 68 off 19 balls, helping the Hollywoodbets Dolphins qualify for the playoffs in November.

He is currently playing for MI Cape Town in the Betway SA20. Kagiso Rabada is back in the T20I team following a rib injury that kept him out of the recent white-ball series against India.

Another significant addition is paceman Anrich Nortje, who emerged as South Africa’s top wicket-taker in the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup, where the team finished as runners-up.

The team also features seasoned players such as Quinton de Kock and David Miller, plus spin bowler Keshav Maharaj, fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, and all-rounder Marco Jansen.

South Africa is placed in Group D with Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates, and will kick off their group stage on February 9 against Canada in Ahmedabad.

“Initially, I want to commend the players who will be representing South Africa at their first T20 World Cup. This is a remarkable chance for them, given the challenging selection process,” said Patrick Moroney, the Convenor Selector for the Proteas Men.

We’ve had to make several important decisions, but we believe this team is the most powerful and has a great opportunity to succeed in India and Sri Lanka. We’ve put together an elite squad featuring some of the top and most seasoned players in the sport, along with some of the finest T20 talents emerging.

Proteas Men’s head coach Shukri Conrad commented on the team.

We are heading back to the subcontinent, where we recently faced host nation India. The knowledge we gained from playing in those conditions will certainly help us as we enter this tournament,” Conrad said. “Several players in the World Cup team were part of that trip and had direct experience with the pitches we are expected to face, which will be advantageous once we arrive in India.

We still have one more T20I series against the West Indies before we head to the World Cup, and the team will be revealed later this month.

South Africa’s Male Team – ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

Aiden Markram (team leader), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Jason Smith.