Former Pakistan cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq believes South Africa insulted India with a crushing defeat in the Super 8 match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. South Africa beat India by 76 runs, handing them their first defeat after 12 matches in T20 World Cup history.
Pursuing target 188, India were bowled out for 111 in 18.5 overs and suffered their first defeat in an ICC limited-overs event since 2023. After India’s defeat, Saqlain Mushtaq launched a scathing attack, claiming that South Africa had humiliated them.
“South Africa’s plans worked perfectly today. They literally dragged the Indians down the ground, thrashed them and frankly insulted them. However high they were recently, the South Africans knocked them down a peg or two. Their planning was excellent in all three departments – batting, bowling and fielding. Watch how they coordinated the catch on Cori TV, Saharabin. Bosch’s catch to dismiss Abhishek Sharma as he ran back and in time indicated to Keshav Maharaj that he was going for it.
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India’s chase got off to the worst possible start as Ishan Kishan was dismissed for a duck in the very first over, while Tilak Varma (1 off 2) and Abhishek Sharma (15 off 12) also fell cheaply, leaving the Men in Blue 31 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. The remaining batters crumbled under the pressure of the required run-rate and perished in attempted big shots.
The defeat intensified the scrutiny of India’s batting philosophy, especially after repeated failures in the tournament so far. Meanwhile, their continued fighting has left them va uncertain position in the competition. Their net run rate has been severely affected by the loss and now stands at -3,800. The men in blue need to win both their remaining matches against Zimbabwe and West Indies to keep their hopes alive in the tournament.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 23, 2026
