In a T20 World Cup recreation for the ages, South Africa one way or the other managed to get previous a plucky Afghanistan after two wildly oscillating Tremendous Overs on Wednesday (February 11, 2026).
Ryan Rickelton (61 off 28) and Quinton de Kock (59 off 41) put collectively an excellent century stand with quickfire fifties to energy South Africa to 187 for six.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (84 off 42) then singlehandedly saved Afghanistan within the run chase earlier than some lusty hitting from the lower-order helped them tie the sport in regulation time.
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What adopted was an unimaginable sequence of two Tremendous Overs with fortunes swinging both means after each ball. Within the first Tremendous Over, Azmatullah Omarzai struck Lungi Ngidi for 2 fours and a six to assist Afghanistan submit 17 runs, however Tristan Stubbs hit two sixes off Fazalhaq Farooqi together with off the final ball to pressure one other Tremendous Over.
Coming in to bat within the second Tremendous Over, Davis Miller and Tristan Stubbs struck three sixes to notch up 23 runs, a steep goal which was made to look very gettable by Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The opening batter smashed seasoned left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for 3 consecutive sixes earlier than getting out to finish a sensational end.
In regulation time, the Afghans began aggressively within the run chase earlier than shedding the plot however some good hitting from Omarzai, Rashid and Noor Ahmad coupled with a disastrous closing over from Kagiso Rabada, through which he gave away two no balls, value South Africa dearly.
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Afghanistan made a shiny begin to their chase, with Gurbaz (84 off 42; 4x4s, 7x6s) smashing Ngidi for 2 fours within the opening over.
Gurbaz continued together with his attacking method, ramping Marco Jansen over the slips for aa most after which hitting Rabada over the third man fence.
George Linde gave away 17 runs in his opening over as Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran took the assault to the opposition to race to 50 in simply 4 overs.
However Ngidi put brakes on the scoring, scalping two wickets within the fifth over within the type of Zadran, who was cleaned up, after which accounting for Gulbadin Naib a ball later with the pacer taking an excellent return catch.
Gurbaz, nonetheless, was in ominous type as he dispatched Linde for 2 sixes within the eight over to carry up his fifty in 26 balls, lifting Afghanistan to 93 for 3 in 10 overs.
Gurbaz was going nice weapons earlier than twin blows within the thirteenth over modified the complexion of the match. Omarzai (22 off 17) and Rashid (20 off 12) saved Afghanistan within the hunt earlier than Noor Ahmed (15 not out off 9) struck two huge sixes to carry down the carry the equation to 13 off the final six balls.
South Africa regarded to have pocked the match within the first ball of the final over dismissing Ahmad, just for a ill-timed no ball from Rabada, and the batter punished the Proteas clearing the bowler for a most.
Rabada bowled one other no ball within the fourth supply earlier than Ahmad was run out going for the successful run because the match completed on stage scores, forcing Tremendous Over.
Earlier, South Africa have been dealt an early blow within the type off skipper Aiden Markram (5).
De Kock broke the shackles within the fourth over, clearing Mujeeb ur Rahman over the fence after which adopted it up with a 4. Rickelton then joined the occasion, hitting Omarzai (3/41) for 2 boundaries as South Africa managed simply 43 for 1 within the powerplay.
Each De Kock and Rickelton pressed the accelerator button thereafter, taking over the spin duo of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid (2/28) with some lusty hits.
Ahmad was taken to activity by the duo because the spinner gave away 23 runs in his first over.
The onslaught continued as De Kock introduced up his fifth T20 World Cup fifty with a boundary off Mujeeb after which Rickelton added salt to the bowler’s wound with a most to attain a top quality fifty of simply 23 balls.
It took some brilliance from Rashid and poor shot choice to interrupt the dangerous-looking partnership with each de Kock and Rickelton departing within the thirteenth over.
Rashid first accounted for De Kock, caught at deep midwicket by Ibrahim Zadran after which a ball later the Afghan skipper trapped Rickelton plumb in entrance of the wicket with a faster supply that skidded on after pitching.
Scoreboard
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz c George Linde b Keshav Maharaj 84 Ibrahim Zadran b Lungi Ngidi 12 Gulbadin Naib c and b Lungi Ngidi 0 Sediqullah Atal c Marco Jansen b Kagiso Rabada 0 Darwish Rasooli run out (George Linde/Quinton de Kock/Keshav Maharaj) 15 Azmatullah Omarzai c Tristan Stubbs b Lungi Ngidi 22 Mohammad Nabi c Aiden Markram b George Linde 5 Rashid Khan c David Miller b Marco Jansen 20 Mujeeb Ur Rahman run out (Marco Jansen) 0 Noor Ahmad not out 15 Fazalhaq Farooqi run out (Marco Jansen/Kagiso Rabada) 0 Extras: (LB-1, W-11, NB-2) 14 Complete: (10 wickets in 19.4 overs) 187 Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-51, 3-52, 4-121, 5-121, 6-139, 7-164, 8-169, 9-175, 10-187.
Bowling: Lungi Ngidi 4-0-26-3, Marco Jansen 4-0-42-1, Kagiso Rabada 3.4-0-38-1, George Linde 3-0-39-1, Keshav Maharaj 4-0-27-1, Aiden Markram 1-0-14-0.
Revealed – February 11, 2026 11:19 am IST
