With the 2026 T20 World Cup set to take place, we take a look at the chances for each player and their IPL 2025 performances.
Australia are set to host South Africa in a three-match T20I series starting from August 10, with both teams looking to finetune their preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
With the road to the 2026 T20 World Cup beginning to take shape, much of the focus are on some of the players from both sides who played in IPL 2025. There are several standout players from franchises like Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) who have made the cut into the Australia and South Africa T20I squads.
So, how have these players performed in recent T20 matches? We track the performances of such players and more ahead of the Australia vs South Africa T20I series:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Tim David looks set to play another edition of the T20 World Cup, thanks to his recent impressive performances.
After scoring 187 runs from 12 matches in IPL 2025, that included a half-century, the 29-year-old went onto slam an unbeaten century in the third T20I against West Indies. He followed it up with a 12-ball 30 in the fifth T20I, that included one four and four sixes.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Travis Head had a mediocre IPL 2025 campaign, scoring just 374 runs from 13 matches that included three fifties. This was in contrast to IPL 2024, wherein he scored 567 runs from 15 matches, that included one century and four fifties. The 31-year-old has not played any T20s since the IPL, but he firmly remains in contention for the 2026 T20 World Cup thanks to his aggressive batting nature.
Josh Inglis, too, had a mediocre IPL 2025 season with Punjab Kings (PBKS), scoring just 278 runs from 11 matches that includes one half-century.
BAN
159/2
TWI
152/7
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165/8
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179/7
City Cricket Club beat Navarang Club by 14 runs
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184/9
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107/6
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124/2
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121/10
Amo Sharks beat Mis Ainak Knights by 8 wickets
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Match has been called off
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However, he seems to have turned things around, scoring 172 runs from five matches in the T20I series against West Indies. He ended as the third highest run-getter in that series. Inglis remains in Australia’s plans for the 2026 T20 World Cup despite his fluctuating run of form.
Punjab Kings signed Mitchell Owen as a replacement for the injured Glenn Maxwell midway through IPL 2025. Owen, however, ended up playing just one match and failed to produce any significant returns. He then turned up for Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket (MLC), scoring 313 runs from 12 matches that included two fifties.
He then played the T20I series against West Indies, wherein his notable contribution was a 27-ball 50 in the series-opener. The 23-year-old might not be a straightforward selection in the Australia squad for next year’s T20 World Cup, and thus he will have to produce consistent performances to make a case.
Matthew Short did not play IPL 2025, but he did turn up for San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket. He scored 360 runs from eight matches that included five half-centuries. Short wasn’t part of the Australia squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, but will be hoping to make a case for next year’s tournament.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh played for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025, for whom he scored 627 runs from 13 matches. This included one century and six fifties, thus summing up an excellent season with the bat. He followed it up by playing the five-match T20I series against West Indies. However, he had a rather mixed series, with his highest score being 24 runs from 17 balls. He is often prone to injuries, but if not for injuries, he can be a worthy choice, more so with the bat.
Sean Abbott did not play IPL 2025 but did turn up for Quetta Gladiators in a match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) against Karachi Kings, wherein he picked up a wicket. He picked up four wickets from five matches against West Indies and will be expected to perform even better to make a case for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Cameron Green did not play IPL 2025 due to an injury, but his recent form in T20s look promising. He scored three half-centuries in the series against West Indies, aggregating 205 runs from five innings to end as the highest run-getter in that series. This series will give him confidence going forward and makes him a favourite to make the T20 World Cup squad. He’s also expected to be one of the most-sought-after names in the IPL 2026 Auction.
Glenn Maxwell played just seven matches for Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, scoring 48 runs and taking four wickets before an injury ruled him out of the rest of the tournament. He then turned up for Washington Freedom in the MLC, scoring 252 runs from 12 matches and taking 10 wickets. He then took three wickets in the T20I series against West Indies and produced a best batting knock of 47 runs from 18 balls in the fourth T20I.
Ben Dwarshuis did not play IPL 2025, but he put up an impressive performance in the T20I series against West Indies. He took eight wickets from four matches, with best bowling figures of 4/36. These are promising signs for the pacer ahead of the T20 World Cup next year.
Nathan Ellis played just one match for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025 and took just one wicket, which came against Mumbai Indians. He then played the T20I series against West Indies, picking up six wickets from five matches.
Josh Hazlewood enjoyed an excellent season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, picking up 22 wickets from 12 matches. The veteran pacer, however, was ruled out of the West Indies T20Is in a bid to manage his workload, having played the World Test Championship final against South Africa as well as the Tests against West Indies.
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Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann doesn’t have much recent T20 credentials, having only played one T20I against West Indies. He registered figures of 0/33, and prior to that, the last T20 he played was during the Big Bash League (BBL) earlier this year. He played for Hobart Hurricanes and took eight wickets from seven matches.
Adam Zampa played just one match for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025 before a shoulder injury ruled him out of the rest of the season. He returned to action in July, playing for Surrey in the Vitality Blast and took nine wickets from four matches. Zampa took eight wickets in the T20I series against West Indies, although he often went for expensive runs.
Dewald Brevis was named as a replacement for the injured Gurjapneeet Singh at Chennai Super Kings, and made quite an impact. He scored 225 runs from six matches that included two fifties. In the T20I tri-series that consisted of hosts Zimbabwe and New Zealand, Brevis scored 133 runs from five matches.
Rassie van der Dussen did not play IPL 2025 and endured a mediocre tri-series after having scored just 106 runs from five matches that included one fifty. He will have his task cut out against Australia.
The South African skipper played 13 matches for Lucknow Super Giants and scored 445 runs that included five half-centuries. He then played the World Test Championship final against Australia, wherein he scored a match-winning century. He was then rested for the tri-series in Zimbabwe recently.
George Linde did not play IPL 2025, but turned up for MI New York in MLC 2025. He took two wickets and scored just 19 runs in three matches in that tournament, and took three wickets and scored 63 runs from five matches in the tri-series. These numbers look far from promising and Linde would be looking to pull up his socks in the series against Australia.
Senuran Muthusamy is a newbie to the South African team and only made his T20I debut during the recent tri-series. He played three matches in the tri-series and picked up four wickets.
Corbin Bosch joined Mumbai Indians for IPL 2025 as a replacement for the injured Lizaad Williams. He played just two matches, scoring 47 runs and taking one wicket. He collected just two wickets from four matches in the tri-series and scored 34 runs.
The all-rounder last played a T20 during the SA20 tournament in January. He played just three matches, taking as many wickets and scoring just one run. It is too early to say if he is in contention for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Tristan Stubbs has been the backbone of Delhi Capitals for a while now, and he had a decent IPL 2025 season, scoring 300 runs from 14 matches. Stubbs, however, was rested for the tri-series in Zimbabwe.
Ryan Rickelton had a productive IPL 2025 season with Mumbai Indians, scoring 388 runs from 14 matches. Like some of the other seniors, he too was rested for the tri-series.
Lhuan dre-Pretorius was named as a replacement for Nitish Rana at Rajasthan Royals towards the end of the IPL 2025 season. He did not get a game, but his T20 credentials show promise. In the 2024-25 SA20 season, the youngster scored 397 runs from 12 matches for Paarl Royals, that included three half-centuries.
Like Brevis, dre-Pretorius has been predicted as the “next big thing” in international cricket and recently, he showcased his skills with the bat with a knock of 51 from 35 balls in the tri-series final against New Zealand.
Lungi Ngidi was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL title-winning side this year. He played just two matches and took four wickets at an average of 20.25. In the tri-series, Ngifdi picked up five wickets from four matches.
The leg-spinner is a newbie to international cricket, having made his South Africa debut only in 2024. In the 11 T20Is he has played, he has taken eight wickets at an average of 36.13. He played three games in the tri-series and took two wickets.
Kwena Maphaka had an underwhelming stint with Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, playing four matches while taking just two wickets. He also endured a similar outing in the tri-series in Zimbabwe, taking just three wickets from as many matches.
Rajasthan Royals had acquired Nandre Burger as a replacement for the injured Sandeep Sharma, but the pacer failed to get a game. He went onto play for Texas Super Kings in the MLC, wherein he picked up eight wickets from six matches. In the tri-series, he collected just three wickets from as many matches.
Kagiso Rabada’s stint in IPL 2025 with Gujarat Titans was limited to four matches as he returned home due to personal reasons. It was later revealed that he was suspended for one month due to his use of cocaine. He returned to India to play the IPL again, but did not feature in the playoffs with the World Test Championship final looming. He hasn’t played any T20 cricket since the IPL but remains an integral part of the Proteas side.
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