AHMEDABAD, FEBRUARY 11, 2026 – The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 witnessed its first Super Over of the tournament on Wednesday night as South Africa dramatically defeated Afghanistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium. In a contest that swung like a pendulum, both teams finished tied on 187 runs, forcing a one-over eliminator where the Proteas held their nerve to claim a vital victory.
Match Summary: The Tie-Breaker
Toss: South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl.
Result: Match Tied (South Africa won the Super Over).
Player of the Match: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) for his explosive 84 runs, despite ending on the losing side.
The Full Match Report
- First Innings: Afghanistan’s Power Hitting (187/6) Put in to bat, Afghanistan started aggressively. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran attacked the South African pace attack early.
The Gurbaz Show: Gurbaz was the star of the innings, smashing a blistering 84 off 48 balls (6 Fours, 5 Sixes). He dominated the spinners, particularly targeting Tabraiz Shamsi.
Middle Order Collapse & Recovery: After Gurbaz fell to Kagiso Rabada in the 15th over, South Africa clawed back with quick wickets. However, a late cameo from Azmatullah Omarzai (32 off 18) pushed the total to a competitive 187/6.
Bowling: Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/28, while Marco Jansen took 2 wickets.
- Second Innings: The Choke and The Comeback (187/8) South Africa’s chase appeared comfortable with Quinton de Kock (45) and Heinrich Klaasen (52) cruising at 140/3 in the 16th over.
The Twist: Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan turned the game on its head, taking two wickets in the 17th over.
Final Over Drama: Needing 12 runs off the last over bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi, South Africa managed 11. On the final ball, with 1 run needed to win, David Miller was run out attempting a risky single, leaving the score tied at 187.
The Super Over Drama
Afghanistan Batting (Bowler: Kagiso Rabada)
Gurbaz and Omarzai walked out.
Ball 1-6: Rabada bowled tight yorkers, but Gurbaz managed to squeeze out a boundary and run hard. Afghanistan set a target of 16 runs.
South Africa Batting (Bowler: Rashid Khan)
Markram and Klaasen took the crease.
Ball 1: Markram hits a FOUR through covers.
Ball 2: 2 runs.
Ball 3: SIX! Klaasen launches Rashid over long-on.
Ball 4: FOUR! A thick edge races to the boundary.
Result: South Africa chased the target with 2 balls to spare.
Post-Match Reactions
Aiden Markram (South Africa Captain): “My heart is still racing. We shouldn’t have let it go to a Super Over, but credit to Rashid and his team, they never gave up. Klaasen was exceptional under pressure.”
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan Captain): “It is heartbreaking to come so close and lose, but this shows we can beat any big team. Gurbaz played one of his best knocks today. We will learn from this.”
Points Table Impact
With this win, South Africa solidifies their position at the top of Group D with 4 points. Afghanistan, with 2 points (1 Win, 1 Loss), remains in second place but must win their next match against Bangladesh to ensure qualification for the Super 8 stage.