If you walked into the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday, February 11, you would mistake it for a practice match with a smaller crowd. But by the time 40 regular overs and four super overs were bowled, South Africa vs Afghanistan could have been one of the best matches in T20 World Cup history.
The Proteas are known to love a bit of excitement when it comes to matches against Asian teams in the tournament, beating Nepal by just one run and then suffering a heartbreak against India in a stunning 2024 final. This time they held their nerve to overcome Afghanistan and push them to the brink of elimination from the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan had revenge on their minds as it was the Proteas who knocked them out at the semi-final stage during the FIFA T20 World Cup 2024. They have faced South Africa six times in ICC events and have never beaten them once, and that was the backdrop against which the match was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Rashid Khan won the toss and opted to bowl first in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, a decision even Aiden Markram said he would have accepted had the coin toss gone in his favour. The start was perfect as Fazalhaq Farooqi struck early in the third over with just 12 runs on the board and skipper Aiden Markram returned to the pavilion. Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickleton came together in the middle at this point and the early suggestions seemed to be that this would be a track where scores above 180 would be good.
De Kock and Rickleton were slowly getting down to business as Rashid Khan opted to stick with spin rather than his pace options.
TAPPED RASHID WITH OPTION?
Despite seeing the help Farooqi was getting in the first two overs he bowled, it would have made sense for Rashid to bring in Azmatullah Omarzai to keep the pressure on. But holding on to Mujeeb ur Rahman helped De Kock break the shackles with a six and a boundary.
Omarzai came to bowl from the fifth over but Rickleton left him for a couple of boundaries and got 12 runs. Rashid was stuck in the spin, but instead of the returning Noor Ahmad, it was Mohammad Nabi who was tasked with creating the pressure.
At that time, Rickleton and De Kock were slowly starting to define the boundaries. Once Noor came on, he was treated with contempt by De Kock and Rickleton, who dismissed him for six each in the first three balls. Rickleton followed it up with a couple of boundaries as 23 over and South Africa racing to 98 for one from 10 overs.
The onslaught continued with De Kock and Rickleton entering their fifties and taking part in Mujeeb. All of a sudden, the pitch we mentioned earlier seemed to be one that suited a high-scoring affair with the Proteas on 124 for one off 12 and with the platform set.
RASHID TURN THE GAME ON
Well, if his captaincy didn’t work out at the time, he was ready to hit the ball. He opened the game and set up the Afghan comeback with a double strike, first removing a well-set Rickleton and then De Kock.
This started a phase of absolute discipline with the ball from Afghanistan as they conceded just 8 runs in the next two overs after a double strike from Rashid with Dewald Brevis and David Miller looking to get going.
Omarzai came in and dismissed both Brevis and Stubbs in the same over to leave South Africa at 159 for five from 18 overs and 180 seemed a long way off as well. However, Jansen and David Miller’s blitz eventually took them to 187 for six in 20 overs.
STORM GURBAZ STUNS SOUTH AFRICA
Over the past few years, Gurbaz has been regarded as one of the best players Afghanistan has ever produced. He always steps into the middle with the intention of attacking and is someone who always tries to take the bull by the horns.
But 2025 was the year it lost a bit of luster. He batted at No. 3 several times and scored only one fifty. Note that he was the highest run-getter in the 2024 tournament and if Afghanistan were to chase down 188, they needed the wicketkeeper to step up.
And from the very beginning, Gurbaz was on the money, taking a particular liking to the South African pacers. Ngidi, Rabada and Marco Jansen were all hit for boundaries in the opener and were joined by first-year partner Ibrahim Zadran as the duo dropped George Linde.
50 runs were scored in the first four overs and it looked like Afghanistan were well on their way when disaster struck out of nowhere. Ngidi turned the tide in the Proteas’ favor when he dismissed Zadran and then got Gulbadin Naib to do the same.
Another over from Kagiso Rabada saw Sediqullah Atal fall, but that didn’t deter Gurbaz one bit. He continued the game and shot down Linde again. His plan was not to let the spinners settle and he dismissed Markram as he raced to his best score in a T20 World Cup.
And just when we thought he was destined for a hundred, a bit of drama ensued as Gurbaz fell and Darwish Rasooli followed from Maharaj.
SOUTH AFRICA IS SUFFERING BRAIN FADE
Mohammad Nabi was playing his 150th T20I game but the impact with the bat lacked rhythm which meant all the onus was on Omarzai. While the young all-rounder got a few boundaries, the Afghanistan legend fell to Linde.
Realizing he needed to get boundaries to put the pressure back on the Proteas, Rashid started with three sweet boundaries. Ngidi was always calm under pressure and opted to remove Omarzai in the 18th over, with the Afghan chase seemingly over.
Or so we thought. Even after Rashid Khan’s wicket in the 19th minute, Noor came and smashed Jansen for a six. Mujeeb sacrificed himself because he could not decide who would win at this point.
The final over was from Rabada and the first ball produced a wicket as the Proteas celebrated. But it didn’t last long, Rabada overstepped and then another ball followed.
Noor then hit a six and got a double as Rabada crossed again to make it 2-3 for Afghanistan. But the drama was not over for this game as Farooqi ran out and we went to a super finish.
SUPER OVER CRAZY
Afghanistan sent Omarzai and Gurbaz into the middle and Ngidi had the ball in hand. He was an all-rounder who brought the stadium to its feet with a boundary and a six. Omarzai got the next four at the expense of Rabada, who was to forget the day and bounced the ball to the boundary.
17 was scored in the first Super Over and the pressure was back on the Proteas.
South Africa sent Brevis and Miller into the middle and Farooqi got the ball. While he escaped the first ball, the left-arm seamer was sent back a few runs with a huge six from Brevis and the game was once again difficult to predict.
But the game was nothing short of a top Hollywood thriller as Brevis dropped the next ball, a smart slower one from Farooqi. A boundary followed but Farooqi held his nerve to produce a dot ball with seven needed off the last ball.
Stubbs came into the tournament leading Sunrisers Eastern Cape to another SA20 title in a thrilling final and was the man of the match in Ahmedabad, sending Farooqi over the fence to push us into another Super Overs series.
Stubbs, entered this Proteas side late but looked like a hero at this point as he hit another six off Omarzai this time. Miller made a name for himself playing in Ahmedabad and hit a couple of sixes to take the score below 20.
Afghanistan needed 24 to win but the momentum was with the Proteas. South Africa gave the ball to Keshav Maharaj who got the wicket of Nabi and it seemed the drama was finally over. But Gurbaz came back as he hit a hat-trick of sixes and took a six off the last ball.
But in the end, Maharaj and South Africa came through as Gurbaz sent the ball to the fielder and the Proteas again pulled off a grand heist.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Published on:
February 11, 2026