Suryakumar Yadav takes a breather after being hit by a delivery from South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi during the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and South Africa in Ahmedabad, India, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo) TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: The first game of India’s Super Eight campaign provided a rude reality check as they were completely outplayed by South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Chasing the 188-run target, the illustrious batting line-up never got going and succumbed to a lot of pressure in front of over 90,000 people. The run lacked application, purpose and discipline. Whatever could have gone wrong, Suryakumar Yadav & Co did as they lost the match by a huge margin of 76 runs.Questionable shot selection, lack of partnership and some good bowling from South Africa led to the hosts’ downfall, ending their 12-match unbeaten run in T20I World Cups. For a team that has dominated the format since winning the Caribbean title in 2024, Sunday’s performance, particularly the batting, was nothing short of an embarrassment. The team, who effortlessly put up huge scores and went through massive totals, managed just 57 at the halfway stage of the run-chase with half of their side cooling their heels in the dugout.Hints about the group stage were evident in the group stage as well, but the bowlers continued to find a way and get the job done. However, thin cracks revealed themselves when they were asked to pursue. The pressure of the big stage clearly drowned out the batting as Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma played very ordinary knocks. Abhishek heaved a sigh of relief as he scored his first run of the tournament, courtesy of the over, but he did not look at ease during his stay in the middle. The left-hander looked very low on confidence, as did India’s No.3 prospect Tilak Varma.Tilak has been scrutinized for his poor batting numbers and while he has enjoyed the support of the selectors, coaches and team management, his performances do not inspire much confidence. India tried to shake things up by promoting Washington Sundar, but that too failed, as did his overall selection for the game ahead of the experienced Axar Patel. India’s vice-captain was on the bench for the second match in a row and his absence was dearly felt with both bat and ball.Shivam Dube fought a lone battle and minimized the net damage, but the writing was clearly on the wall and mere formalities remained before South Africa sealed a comprehensive victory. Marco Jansen & Co. combined to completely dominate the hosts and their clever use of the pitch and conditions helped them make a statement.
Bumrah and the rest
Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh combined to keep the Proteas below the 200-run mark. Shifts can be divided into three phases. India dominated the power play, conceding three wickets. South Africa rebuilt with David Miller and Dewald Brevis but India regained control between the 16th and 19th overs. In the final four overs, the Aiden Markram-led unit scored 23 runs for the loss of three wickets, shrugging off the middle-order efforts of Miller and Brevis, who put on 97 runs together. They also lost the same number of wickets in the power play, but had a plan for the spin threat that was coming their way. The left-right combination targeted Varun Chakravarthy and never allowed India’s X-factor to settle on a pitch that offered little for spin. The world number one T20I bowler conceded 28 runs in his first two overs and Miller looked dangerous in front of the big crowd. From the moment he walked out to bat in the fourth over, the left-hander acted with deliberate intent. He hit the ball where it was supposed to be hit and didn’t back down after the first few goals. The presence of the busy Brevis at the other end gave the innings a much needed boost and the two put on a brisk 97 runs off just 50 deliveries.When they batted, a total of 200+ looked very much within reach, but India did well to pull things back in the closing stages. Bumrah was at his menacing best in both the overs and overs. His last two overs conceded only 8 runs and another wicket added to his match tally made him the most successful Indian bowler in T20I World Cup history. Arshdeep kept the pressure on from the other end as he got past the 18th by just 7 moves, but the 20th played by Hardik swung the momentum in South Africa’s favour. Tristan Stubbs hit back-to-back sixes in the last two deliveries to end the innings emphatically on 187/7. T20I cricket is all about riding the pace when it is on your side. South Africa did it with the bat in the final over and then the bowlers rode it to see off India in their first Super Eight clash.Quick Score:South Africa: 187 for 7 in 20 overs (David Miller 63, Dewald Brevis 45, Tristan Stubbs 44; Jasprit Bumrah 3/15, Arshdeep Singh 2/28).India: 111 all out in 18.5 overs (Shivam Dube 42; Marco Jansen 4/22, Keshav Maharaj 3/24, Corbin Bosch 2/12).
