AHMEDABAD: South Africa survived a high-voltage scare from Afghanistan to clinch a T20 World Cup Group D thriller in Ahmedabad — a match that needed two Super Overs after both sides finished level on 187.
Put in to bat after Rashid Khan won the toss, the Proteas recovered from an early wobble to post 187/6 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton set the platform with attacking fifties and a century stand that flipped momentum in South Africa’s favour, before Afghanistan hit back through Azmatullah Omarzai, who returned 3/41, to keep the total within reach.
Afghanistan’s chase matched the intensity. Rahmanullah Gurbaz carried the scoring with a fluent 84, but regular wickets ensured the game stayed on a knife-edge. Afghanistan eventually dragged the contest level at 187 all out in 19.4 overs, forcing the one-over eliminator.
First Super Over
The drama escalated in the first Super Over, with both teams posting 17 to remain deadlocked — an extremely rare outcome at this level.
In the second Super Over, South Africa produced the decisive burst, smashing 23 without loss to set a daunting target of 24. Afghanistan began brightly but could not sustain the tempo, finishing on 19/2, as South Africa sealed the contest in extraordinary fashion.
The result keeps South Africa’s campaign firmly on track, while Afghanistan were left to rue a remarkable effort that pushed one of the tournament heavyweights to the absolute limit — and still fell short after an unforgettable, edge-of-the-seat finish.
