<p><em>South Africa secured a 2-1 series triumph over the West Indies in January 2026, and that is definitely a great way to get ready for the World Cup, where the Proteas face a Canada side making their second consecutive World Cup appearance in Ahmedabad.</em></p> <ul> <li>Competition: ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Group D</li> <li>Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, India</li> <li>Date: Monday, February 9, 2026</li> <li>Start Time: 12:30 AM AEDT (Tuesday)</li> </ul> <h2>South Africa vs Canada Form and Head to Head</h2> <p>These are not two nations with a great history of, and Tuesday's World Cup encounter will be one of their first significant meetings.</p> <p>The gulf in experience is stark. South Africa is a cricket giant that, in a way or another, has contested every T20 World Cup since the tournament's inception while Canada…well, they have qualified for just their second consecutive edition.</p> <p>South Africa's recent T20I form reads WWLLW from their last five matches. It's only fair to remind everyone that the Proteas had a difficult 2025, as they have failed to claim a single T20I series victory between July and December.</p> <p>Their 2-1 win over the West Indies in January 2026 marked their first series success with a full-strength squad available. It may be a signal that shows they are back - or not. We only need a few more days to discover that.</p> <p>Canada earned their spot through an unbeaten Americas Regional Qualifier campaign in 2025, and while they may not have the firepower South Africa has, they have demonstrated growing consistency in regional competition under captain Dilpreet Bajwa.</p> <h2>Canada's Batting Depth Under Scrutiny in Ahmedabad</h2> <p>Canada's squad features key performers Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel, and Shivam Sharma, but facing South Africa's pace attack at the massive 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium presents their biggest challenge yet.</p> <p>The associate nation's cricket infrastructure has improved through initiatives like the Canada Super60 domestic competition, though that preparation may count for little against Kagiso Rabada and company.</p> <p>South Africa welcome back their full complement of stars for this campaign. Quinton de Kock provides firepower at the top, while Aiden Markram showed sharp form in warm-up matches, smashing 38 off just 19 deliveries against India. Tristan Stubbs added 45 from 21 balls in that same fixture, suggesting the Proteas batting unit is primed for runs.</p> <h2>South Africa vs Canada Betting Markets</h2> <p>Let's be completely honest about this: when it comes to <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/cricket">cricket betting in Australia</a>, it looks like the Proteas enter as overwhelming favourites. A quick look at the odds will show you how the match result market reflects the significant gap between these sides - and (some would say) rightly so.</p> <p>For the latest South Africa vs Canada odds and markets, check out our dedicated <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/cricket/icc-mens-cricket-world-cup">Cricket World Cup betting odds</a> page here at Sportsbet.</p> <p>When it comes to alternative bets or building a multi, the total runs markets could prove interesting given venue conditions.</p> <p>The Narendra Modi Stadium somehow tends to produce high-scoring T20 matches, with average first innings scores around 160-190, and its square boundaries of approximately 73 metres favouring power hitters.</p> <p>Most people seem to believe that South Africa's explosive top order will thrive against Canada's relatively inexperienced bowling attack, and we believe also player performance markets around de Kock and Markram could be some interesting options to keep an eye on.</p> <h2>South Africa vs Canada Prediction: Our Pick</h2> <p>The Proteas should prove far too strong here, and we're backing them to post a substantial total in the process.</p> <p>We may be relying a bit too much on the reputational factor here, but we do believe South Africa will win.</p> <p>South Africa's class differential is quite impressive, especially if you spend a few minutes examining the squads. They finished runners-up at the 2024 T20 World Cup, losing a thrilling final to India by seven runs, and have genuine match-winners across their lineup.</p> <p>Their 2-1 series win over the West Indies could show they've rediscovered form at the right time, while Markram's explosive 38 off 19 in warm-up action suggests the batting group is firing.</p> <p>Sure, Canada's unbeaten qualifier campaign was impressive at regional level, but this represents a significant step up in opposition quality. The Ahmedabad surface typically favours batsmen, and South Africa's power-hitting depth should allow them to surpass 160 with relative comfort.</p> <p>The only concern we have is potential complacency, though the Proteas will be keen to start their campaign with a statement performance.</p> <h2>Keep Reading</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/cricket/news/cricket-scoring-explained">Overs, wickets, and runs — how cricket scoring actually works</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/cricket/news/cricket-dls-method-explained">The DLS method: cricket's most confusing rule finally makes sense</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/cricket/news/top-ten-richest-cricketers-in-the-world">The ten cricketers with the biggest bank balances right now</a></li> </ul>