South Africa needed two Super Overs to get past Afghanistan in one of the wildest group-stage games the T20 World Cup has ever produced. Anyone searching for the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard from the 13th match of Group D will find a contest that had two ties, two record-breaking innings, and a finish that came down to the very last ball. South Africa eventually won by 4 runs in the second Super Over at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on 11 February 2026.
Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton set the tone with a rapid stand at the top, Rahmanullah Gurbaz responded with the innings of his career, and Lungi Ngidi’s calm bowling in both Super Overs won him the Player of the Match award. This South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team clash will be remembered as the first double Super Over in T20 World Cup history, and every twist of it is captured below in the full South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard.
Venue and Conditions Report
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the largest cricket ground in the world, hosted this early-morning fixture with an 11.00 am local start. The surface played true from ball one, offering Farooqi and the Afghan seamers only brief early movement before flattening out completely, which explains why both totals climbed past 180. There was no dew factor to speak of given the daytime timing, so the toss carried less weight than it might have under lights a small but important detail for anyone studying the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Stats from this game. Boundaries at square of the wicket were relatively short, which rewarded the pull and slog-sweep shots that both Rickelton and Gurbaz used so effectively.
Playing XIs: Full Squad Line-ups
South Africa fielded Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi. It was a balanced XI with genuine pace options in Rabada, Ngidi and Jansen, backed by Maharaj and Linde as the two frontline spinners.
Afghanistan went in with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (captain), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi. Rashid Khan’s decision to load the XI with five frontline bowling options, including three spinners in himself, Nabi and Noor, reflected how seriously Afghanistan took the threat of South Africa’s power-hitters through the middle overs a plan that worked for large stretches of the innings.
Match Summary
| Team | Runs | Wickets | Overs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 187 | 6 | 20.0 | Match tied (regulation) |
| Afghanistan | 187 | 10 | 19.4 | Match tied (regulation) |
| South Africa (Super Over 1) | 17 | 1 | 1.0 | Tied |
| Afghanistan (Super Over 1) | 17 | 0 | 1.0 | Tied |
| South Africa (Super Over 2) | 23 | 0 | 1.0 | South Africa won by 4 runs |
| Afghanistan (Super Over 2) | 19 | 2 | 1.0 | Lost by 4 runs |
South Africa batted first and posted 187/6, built around a 116-run second-wicket stand between de Kock and Rickelton. Afghanistan matched it almost run for run behind Gurbaz’s 84, tying the scores in the final over. Both Super Overs finished level too until South Africa’s bowlers held their nerve in the second one, sealing the win. Every stage of this South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Timeline turned on a boundary or a wicket in the closing overs.
Batting Highlights
South Africa Innings — 187/6 (20 overs)
| Player | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram (c) | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 62.50 |
| Quinton de Kock (wk) | 59 | 41 | 5 | 3 | 143.90 |
| Ryan Rickelton | 61 | 28 | 5 | 4 | 217.85 |
| Dewald Brevis | 23 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 121.05 |
| David Miller | 20* | 15 | 1 | 1 | 133.33 |
| Tristan Stubbs | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Marco Jansen | 16 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 228.57 |
Afghanistan Innings — 187 all out (19.4 overs)
| Player | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) | 84 | 42 | 4 | 7 | 200.00 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 120.00 |
| Gulbadin Naib | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Sediqullah Atal | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Darwish Rasooli | 15 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 22 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 129.41 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Rashid Khan (c) | 20 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 166.67 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Noor Ahmad (not out) | 15 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 166.67 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A (run out, non-striker) |
Disclaimer: This match scorecard, statistics, and analysis are compiled from publicly available official cricket data and reliable sources. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, minor updates or corrections may occur after publication.
De Kock and Rickelton’s 116-run stand off just 61 balls did the heavy lifting for South Africa after Markram fell early to Farooqi, with Rickelton’s 61 off 28 balls the fastest innings of the match. At the other end, Gurbaz’s 84 off 42 anchored the entire Afghan chase, breaking the record for the highest individual score by an Afghan batter in Men’s T20 World Cup history and hitting a tournament-record seven sixes in the innings. Everything after Gurbaz’s dismissal was a scramble, with cameos from Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad keeping Afghanistan in the hunt until the very last over.
Milestone Moments and Records Broken
This edition of the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team rivalry produced more record-book entries than most series do in their entirety. The South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard reflects just how historic the contest was, with records falling alongside one of the most dramatic finishes in T20 World Cup history.
Quinton de Kock’s 59 took him past AB de Villiers’ 717 runs to become South Africa’s all-time leading run-scorer in Men’s T20 World Cup history, a landmark that arrived almost unnoticed amid the chaos of the finish. At the other end, Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 84 off 42 balls eclipsed his own previous best of 80 to become the highest individual score by an Afghan batter in the tournament’s history. Within that same innings, Gurbaz also broke the Afghan record for most runs scored in boundaries in a single T20 World Cup innings (58) and struck seven sixes, beating Mohammad Shahzad’s previous mark of five. Layered on top of all that, the match itself became the first-ever double Super Over in T20 World Cup history, with only two other T20 internationals ever having needed multiple Super Overs to be settled.
Bowling Figures
Afghanistan Bowling (vs South Africa)
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 4.0 | 32 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 3.0 | 30 | 0 | 10.00 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 4.0 | 41 | 3 | 10.25 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 2.0 | 20 | 0 | 10.00 |
| Rashid Khan | 4.0 | 28 | 2 | 7.00 |
| Noor Ahmad | 3.0 | 35 | 0 | 11.66 |
South Africa Bowling (vs Afghanistan)
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lungi Ngidi | 4.0 | 26 | 3 | 6.50 |
| Marco Jansen | 4.0 | 42 | 1 | 10.50 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3.4 | 38 | 1 | 10.36 |
| George Linde | 3.0 | 39 | 1 | 13.00 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 4.0 | 27 | 1 | 6.75 |
| Aiden Markram | 1.0 | 14 | 0 | 14.00 |
Farooqi’s early strike against Markram gave Afghanistan the perfect powerplay, but Rashid Khan’s double-strike in the 13th over removing both De Kock and Rickelton in three balls was the spell that pegged South Africa back after their flying start. In the middle overs of Afghanistan’s chase, Ngidi’s slower-ball changes accounted for both openers inside five overs, while Maharaj’s dismissal of Gurbaz at 121/4, caught superbly by Linde, was the single biggest wicket of the match. Rabada was expensive at the death, including two no-balls in the tense final over, but a direct-hit run out off his throw ultimately levelled the scores instead of losing the match outright.
Super Over Breakdown: Ball by Ball
The drama did not end after 40 overs of regulation cricket. The South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard became even more remarkable once the game entered the Super Overs. In the first Super Over, Afghanistan batted first and Azmatullah Omarzai smashed a four and a six off the opening two balls from Lungi Ngidi, powering his side to 17/0. South Africa sent David Miller and Dewald Brevis out to chase it down, but Fazalhaq Farooqi struck to remove Brevis, and it looked like Afghanistan might snatch the win there and then. Tristan Stubbs, promoted into the Super Over, then hit two boundaries in the final three balls, including a six off the last delivery, to tie the scores at 17/1 and force cricket’s rare second Super Over.
In the decider, South Africa batted first this time, with Stubbs and Miller combining for 23/0, driven by three sixes between them off Omarzai’s bowling. Afghanistan needed 24 to win, and Keshav Maharaj struck immediately, removing Mohammad Nabi off the second ball. Gurbaz, still not finished with the contest, launched three consecutive sixes to bring the equation down to needing a boundary off the last ball but he could only find the fielder at point, and Afghanistan finished on 19/2, handing South Africa victory by 4 runs in the second Super Over.
Key Moments & Tactical Analysis
Toss impact: Afghanistan won the toss and chose to field first, banking on early swing and spin support at Ahmedabad. It worked briefly through Farooqi’s opening breakthrough, but the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard shows the pitch offered little help once Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton settled.
Powerplay momentum: South Africa lost Aiden Markram inside three overs, yet De Kock and Rickelton counter-attacked so effectively that South Africa reached 64/1 after eight overs, quickly taking control of the powerplay.
Turning point: Rashid Khan’s twin strike in the 13th over, immediately followed by Lungi Ngidi’s burst against Afghanistan’s top order, swung momentum twice in the space of a few overs a pattern that defined this entire South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team contest.
Captaincy decisions: Rashid Khan’s choice to bowl himself out in a tight 18th over, and Aiden Markram’s decision to hand Kagiso Rabada the 20th over ahead of a specialist, were the two biggest tactical calls of the run chase. The latter nearly cost South Africa the win outright.
Pitch/dew factor: With an 11:00 a.m. start, dew was not a major factor, but the surface flattened out as the innings progressed, explaining why both teams crossed the 180-run mark despite early wickets.
Group D Standings After the Match
This result had real consequences for the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Standings in Group D. South Africa moved to two wins from two matches, sitting on top of the group after also beating Canada in their opener at the same venue. Afghanistan, by contrast, dropped to zero wins from two games, having already lost their tournament opener to New Zealand, which put real pressure on their remaining fixtures against UAE and Canada to keep alive any hope of reaching the Super Eight stage. Group D also includes New Zealand, UAE and Canada, and with only the top two sides advancing, every remaining group game for Afghanistan effectively became a must-win.
Key Stats
| Metric | South Africa | Afghanistan |
|---|---|---|
| Total Runs | 187/6 | 187/10 |
| Extras | 3 | 14 |
| Boundaries (4s+6s) | 14 fours, 9 sixes | 8 fours, 10 sixes |
| Run Rate | 9.35 | 9.51 |
Afghanistan actually finished with a higher run rate despite losing all ten wickets, a reflection of how quickly Gurbaz and the middle order scored before the innings unravelled. South Africa’s disciplined batting from de Kock and Rickelton meant fewer boundaries were needed per over, while Afghanistan leaked far more extras, including costly errors in the tense final over of the chase.
Player Ratings: Standout Performers
Lungi Ngidi walked away with the Player of the Match award and the tournament’s MVP points (106.15) for this game, a fair reflection of bowling figures of 3/26 in the run chase followed by composed spells across both Super Overs. Ryan Rickelton was arguably the most destructive batter on view, his 61 off just 28 balls setting up South Africa’s total almost single-handedly after the early loss of Markram.
The South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard also highlights the individual brilliance on both sides. For Afghanistan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 84 stands as one of the great losing-cause innings in recent T20 World Cup history, carrying his side to the brink of a stunning win before falling agonisingly short in the second Super Over. Rashid Khan’s all-round contribution a sharp 20 off 12 with the bat plus two crucial wickets with the ball also deserves recognition in any honest assessment of the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team players who made the biggest impact.
Head-to-Head Analysis
Before this fixture, South Africa held a strong T20I head-to-head record against Afghanistan, including a win in the semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. In 50-over cricket, South Africa beat Afghanistan by 5 wickets at the 2023 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad and thrashed them by 107 runs at the 2025 Champions Trophy, though Afghanistan had earlier stunned the Proteas by 6 wickets in a bilateral ODI in Sharjah. This T20 World Cup meeting extended South Africa’s dominance in ICC events, even though Afghanistan pushed the game to the very last delivery of a second Super Over.
Historical Rivalry
The rivalry between these two sides has grown sharply since Afghanistan’s rise as a genuine white-ball force. Their 2023 ODI World Cup meeting in Ahmedabad, on the same ground as this T20 World Cup clash, was a tight five-wicket South African win. Their 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final, and now this double Super Over classic, show a pattern: Afghanistan consistently taking South Africa deep into the contest, even if the Proteas usually finish on top. Fans searching the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Standings and history will notice South Africa’s unbeaten record against Afghanistan in multi-team ICC tournaments remains intact after this result.
What This Result Means for Both Teams
For South Africa, this was a statement win under pressure, proving that their much-discussed death bowling and finishing depth can hold up even when a game slips away from them for long stretches. The South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard reflects just how resilient the Proteas were, especially in the dramatic Super Overs, and it sets them up nicely for a high-profile clash with New Zealand with a genuine chance of topping Group D outright.
For Afghanistan, the story is more complicated. Gurbaz’s innings confirmed he remains one of the most destructive white-ball batters in the world, and the fight shown across two Super Overs will give real belief heading into their remaining matches. However, two defeats from two games leave very little margin for error, and Rashid Khan’s side now needs a near-perfect run through their remaining group fixtures simply to stay alive in the tournament.
Fantasy Cricket Takeaways
For anyone building fantasy teams around future South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Matches, this game offered a clear lesson: prioritise the middle order finishers on both sides. Ryan Rickelton, David Miller and Marco Jansen all offered explosive scoring at high strike rates, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s role as an aggressive opener who bats deep into the innings makes him close to a must-pick against most bowling attacks. On the bowling side, Lungi Ngidi’s ability to change pace and strike in clusters, and Rashid Khan’s knack for taking wickets in tight middle-over spells, both stood out as reliable fantasy point-scorers regardless of the match situation.
Where To Watch South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team
This match, and the wider T20 World Cup 2026, was broadcast on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar in India, shown live on SuperSport across South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, and carried on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Fans in the United States could watch via Willow TV, Amazon Prime and YouTube, while viewers in the UAE and wider MENA region followed the action on CricLife Max via StarzPlay, and Afghan audiences had commentary in Pashto and Dari on Lemar TV.
Read Also: United Arab Emirates National Cricket Team Vs Ireland Cricket Team Match Scorecard
Conclusion
The South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard will be remembered as one of the most dramatic contests of the group stage. More than just the final result, the match had a major impact on the Super Eight race in Group D, with South Africa securing their second consecutive win while Afghanistan were left searching for their first points after another hard-fought defeat.
The South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard highlights how closely fought the contest was, from the tied scores at the end of the innings to the thrilling second Super Over that ultimately decided the winner. South Africa will now face New Zealand at the same Ahmedabad venue on 14 February, while Afghanistan will aim to bounce back against the UAE in Delhi on 16 February. For cricket fans, this unforgettable encounter was a perfect example of why Super Overs create some of the most exciting moments in the game.
? FAQs
What was the final score?
South Africa 187/6 tied with Afghanistan 187 all out; South Africa won by 4 runs in the second Super Over.
Who was Player of the Match?
Lungi Ngidi, for figures of 3/26 plus composed bowling across both Super Overs.
Who scored most runs?
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, with 84 off 42 balls for Afghanistan.
Who took most wickets?
Azmatullah Omarzai and Lungi Ngidi both took 3 wickets each.
What was the turning point?
Rashid Khan’s double-wicket 13th over, followed by Ngidi’s early breakthroughs against Afghanistan’s top order, swung the contest twice before the Super Overs decided it.
