After a surprising ODI series defeat to Afghanistan, Aiden Markram’s South Africa bounced back with a strong start to the two-match T20I series against Ireland in Sharjah with an 8-wicket win in the 1st T20I. Now the Proteas will be preparing to face the Irish in the second and final T20I at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 29 to whitewash the Irish team and win the series 2-0. In the first T20I on September 27 at the same venue, South Africa had chased a competitive target of 172 in just 17.4 overs by losing only two wickets. Heading into the second T20I, Ireland will be eager to avenge that one-sided defeat and level the series 1-1. As the teams gear up for this decisive clash, it will be interesting to watch who will win today’s match.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium Pitch Report
The pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi typically provides more support for bowlers compared to other venues in the UAE. Fast bowlers can expect some movement early on with the new ball, making the initial overs challenging for batters. However, once settled, batters can take advantage of the track’s pace and bounce. Overall, it should be a good batting surface, with some early assistance for seamers. Given these conditions, both teams are likely to prefer bowling first at this venue.
Weather Report: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
| Condition | Clear skies |
| Temperature | 39.0°C |
| Humidity | 29% |
Ireland vs South Africa Head to Head in T20I
| Matches | 6 |
| Ireland Won | 0 |
| South Africa Won | 6 |
| No Result | 0 |
Probable Playing XI
Ireland
PR Stirling (C), GR Adair, CA Young, B White, H Tector, Curtis Campher, N Rock (wk), GH Dockrell, MR Adair, Fionn Hand, Matthew Humphreys
South Africa
AK Markram (C), T Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, LB Williams, OEG Baartman, RD Rickelton (wk), RR Hendricks, MP Breetzke, PE Kruger, BC Fortuin, N Peter,
Full Strength Squads
| Ireland | South Africa |
| Paul Stirling (c) | Aiden Markram (c) |
| Fionn Hand | Ottneil Baartman |
| Graham Hume | Matthew Breetzke |
| Ross Adair | Patrick Kruger |
| Mark Adair | Wiaan Mulder |
| Curtis Campher | Lungi Ngidi |
| Gareth Delany | Nqabayomzi Peter |
| George Dockrell | Ryan Rickelton |
| Craig Young | Andile Simelane |
| Matthew Humphreys | Nandre Burger |
| Neil Rock | Bjorn Fortuin |
| Harry Tector | Jason Smith |
| Lorcan Tucker | Tristan Stubbs |
| Ben White | Lizaad Williams |
| — | Reeza Hendricks |
Ireland vs South Africa 2nd T20I Match Prediction
South Africa is a far better team compared to Ireland considering the rankings and players’ quality. So it isn’t any surprise as the Proteas are coming to this match as a favorite. According to Google Win Predictor, South Africa’s winning chances are 79%, while Ireland’s winning chances are just 21%.
Also read: Ireland vs South Africa Tour of UAE 2024 | Cricket Schedule
