- By Vishal Pushkar
- Wed, 11 Feb 2026 04:53 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
South Africa vs Afghanistan: The ongoing T20 World Cup experienced one of the most thrilling matches in the format as South Africa clinched a see-saw battle against Afghanistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. The match had it all as it was filled with tense moments, which escalated into two back-to-back Super Overs after a tied finish.
The suspense was too much to take as former cricketers shared their thoughts on the game after the Proteas clinched a dramatic victory.
Robin Uthappa
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa wrote on X, “Has to be one of the craziest games I ever watched in a T20 World Cup. Feel for Gurbaz who stood tall for Afghanistan!! SA hold their nerves under pressure which was great to watch!! BLOODY BRILLIANT FOR CRICKET!!”
Dale Steyn
Former South African pacer Dale Steyn, who was also commentating during the game, reacted, “THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!!”
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Irfan Pathan
Former India player Irfan Pathan, meanwhile, tweeted, “Ohhhhh Afghanistan… so near, yet still so far.”
Faf du Plessis
Proteas legend Faf du Plessis summed it up simply, writing, “What a game …!! SAvsAFG”
The encounter will be remembered as one of the greatest T20 matches in World Cup history, featuring breathtaking hitting, nerve-wracking tension, and a showcase of skill and resilience from both sides.
Gave Everything On Ground: Afghanistan
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said, "The boys did an amazing job, especially with the way they started with the bat. To restrict them to under 190 was amazing. So unlucky to be part of the losing team. Gave everything on the ground. This wicket is good, played a lot in IPL on this wicket. Discussion with the team was "yes, they had a good start, but try to restrict them in the last 10 overs," according to Cricbuzz.
After the match tied with the score of 187 runs from both sides, Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmatullah Gurbaz came to bat for Afghanistan as they managed to extract 17 runs in the first Super Over against the bowling of Lungi Ngidi.
Fazalhaq Farooqi came to bowl for Afghanistan while defending 17 runs in the Super Over. He bowled well and got the wicket of Dewald Brevis, but Tristan Stubbs hit two boundaries, including a six on the last delivery, to force another Super Over.
Reacting to the last-ball thriller, Khan said, "We had our opportunities. In the last Super Over as well, 1 ball 5 runs could go anyway. Could've been smarter. One dive, one ball could've finished it. Work hard for the last one and a half years for this game to go to the next round. Very disappointing. Any time you're representing your country is a proud moment. Will try my best to keep them as up to date as possible."
Batting first in the second Super Over, South Africa scored 23, powered by David Miller's 16.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz clobbered three sixes but Afghanistan fell short of the target, scoring 19-2 to hand South Africa a dramatic victory.
Inputs from Agency