Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: South Africa defeated Afghanistan in one of the most thrilling T20 matches ever played, winning the Group D fixture of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
South Africa secured victory in a one-over eliminator via the second Super Over after both teams were tied at 187 runs in the regulation 20 overs. Afghanistan, needing 24 runs to win in the second Super Over, required six off the last ball. However, Keshav Maharaj bowled a superb yorker to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had smashed three consecutive sixes, to win the match for South Africa.
The match went to the second Super Over after the scores were tied after the first Super Over. Batting first, South Africa scored 17, and Afghanistan also could only make 17.
Earlier, South Africa posted 187 for the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs. Afghanistan also reached 187 as their 10th batter Fazalhaq Farooqi was run out in 19.4 overs.
Despite losing captain and opener Aiden Markram (5) cheaply, South Africa built their innings through half-centuries from Quinton de Kock (59) and Ryan Rickelton (61). Dewald Brevis, David Miller, and Marco Jansen contributed 23, 20 not out, and 16, respectively, to push the total past 180.
Azmatullah Omarzai claimed three wickets for Afghanistan, while captain Rashid Khan picked up two and Fazalhaq Farooqi took one.
Chasing 188, opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 84 off 42 balls to keep Afghanistan on the hunt even though wickets tumbled on the other at regular intervals. Omarzai scored 22, Rashid Khan added 20, and Darwish Rasooli and Noor Ahmad chipped in with 15 each.
Lungi Ngidi claimed three wickets for South Africa, while Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, George Linde, and Keshav Maharaj took one each.
Ngidi appeared to have taken Afghanistan’s final wicket on the first legal delivery of the 19th over—after a no-ball and a wide—but Noor Ahmad was dropped by Jansen, ensuring a dramatic finish to the match.
