South Africa beat Afghanistan in a dramatic double Super Over after the teams were tied on 187 in their T20 World Cup Group D clash on Wednesday, boosting their position at the top of the standings.
After both sides finished on 187 in their allotted 20 overs, Afghanistan scored 17 in the first Super Over. South Africa matched that effort, forcing a second Super Over, where they sealed victory by four runs.
Earlier, South Africa posted 187 for six, powered by Ryan Rickelton’s 61 off 28 balls and Quinton de Kock’s 59 off 41. David Miller added an unbeaten 20, while Marco Jansen struck a late 16 off seven deliveries to lift the total.
Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai were among the wickets for Afghanistan, helping restrict South Africa despite a brisk scoring rate.
In reply, Afghanistan were bowled out for 187 in 19.4 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz led the chase with a blistering 84 off 42 balls, hitting seven sixes and four fours. Azmatullah Omarzai (22), Rashid Khan (20) and Noor Ahmad (15 not out) chipped in, but the innings lost momentum after regular wickets in the middle overs.
Lungi Ngidi took 3 for 26, while Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, George Linde and Keshav Maharaj claimed one wicket each.
The tie keeps South Africa firmly in control of Group D, having already secured a win in their opener, and significantly strengthens their net run rate ahead of the race for the Super Eight stage.
For Afghanistan, the narrow defeat leaves their campaign finely balanced. With only two teams advancing from the group, they now face must-win fixtures in their remaining matches.
Afghanistan next play the United Arab Emirates on Feb. 16, before taking on Canada on Feb. 19. Victory in those games would keep their qualification hopes alive, though net run rate could prove decisive.
Despite the loss, Afghanistan’s ability to push one of the tournament favourites to two Super Overs underlined their growing stature in global T20 cricket and keeps them in contention as the group stage enters a crucial phase.
