Mohammad Nabi faces online abuse as Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s efforts go in vain in South Africa vs Afghanistan thriller

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South Africa Vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2026 TR

South Africa vs Afghanistan, played in match No.13 of the 2026 T20 World Cup, has ended in drama. With 2 needed off the last three balls and one wicket, the Proteas managed a run out, and the match ended in a tie with super overs followed. It was the first super over of this edition of the T20 World Cup.

South Africa came with full confidence after a dominating win over Canada in their first game. The Proteas, after being put into bat first, got off to a flyer after losing their captain Aiden Markram early on in the innings. Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton smashed their way through the Afghan bowlers. Both the batters scored fifties and looked in good touch.

De Kock and Rickelton’s rampage show

De Kock used all his experience in the game and scored 59 off 41 deliveries at a strike rate of 143.90, smashing five fours and three sixes. He was the anchor between the two. Rickelton scored at a blistering pace, scoring 61 off 28 balls, striking 217.86, hitting five fours and four sixes. They stitched a partnership of 114 runs for the second wicket.

Later on came small cameos from David Miller, Dewald Brevis and Marco Jensen, with the latter scoring 16 off 7 balls and finishing off 187/6. Afghan captain Rashid Khan picked two wickets, with Azmatullah Omarzai being the pick of the bowlers, picking 3 wickets.

Rahmanullha Gurbaz, the lone warrior

Coming out to chase, the Afghans were off to a flying start with 50 on the board inside four overs. Openers Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmaullah Gurbaz came in firing from the top. The latter was the aggressor among the two. The former scored 12 out of 10 balls for the first 51 runs. The 2024 finalist picked two quick wickets inside the span of 1 run. From 51/1 to 52/3.

Afghanistan, however, recovered well after Gurbaz kept striking from one end. The wicket-keeper batter scored 84 off 42 balls. A small cameo from Azmatullah Omarzai, 22 off 17 balls, and 20 off 12 from captain Rashid Khan kept the Afghans in the game. They needed 13 off the last over, with Kagiso Rabada bowling the final over.

The experienced speedster faltered, bowling a no ball in the first ball. With 12 needed off six deliveries, and then a wide Noor struck a six off the second ball of the over, with 5 needed off the last 3. Then, yet again, no ball was bowled and 2 were needed off 3.

Rabada ran in, and while completing the two runs, Fazalhaq Farooqi was run out on the free hit ball with Afghanistan being all out. The match went into the super over with Afghanistan scoring 17 off the super over, and South Africa scored 17/1, and the match went to the second super over of the game.

In the second super over, South Africa scored 23 and Afghanistan, while chasing a 24, with Keshav Maharaj bowling, they almost secured a win as Gurbaz smashed three sixes in three balls and five needed of the final ball was caught at backward point with the Proteas winning the game in the second super over.

Fans React as South Africa Secure Victory in Double Super Over vs Afghanistan in T20 World Cup 2026

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