Key Points
- Afghanistan suffered a heartbreaking defeat in their T20 World Cup match against South Africa.
- Captain Rashid Khan said his side was unlucky after losing a match decided by the finest of margins.
- Afghanistan have lost both their first two matches and are staring at an early exit from the tournament.
South Africa and Afghanistan produced one of the most exciting games in the history of the T20 World Cup on Wednesday, with the latter falling agonisingly short of a famous victory after two Super Overs in a Group D match in Ahmedabad.
After both sides ended up scoring 17 runs in the first Super Over, South Africa post 23/0 in the second one before Afghanistan were all out for 19 to slump to a heartbreaking defeat.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan described the result as "unlucky" stating that his side gave everything on the pitch.
"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. We gave everything on the ground. It was a good wicket, I've 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," Rashid said at the post-match presentation.
The match could've gone anywhere
"We had our opportunities. In the last Super Over as well, five from one could go anywhere. Could've been smarter. One dive, one ball could've finished it. We have been working hard for the last one-and-a-half years. Very disappointing," he added.
Sent in to bat, South Africa posted 187/6 propelled by half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton. Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 84 off 42 and cameos from Azmatullah Omarzai (22), Rashid Khan (20), and Noor Ahmad (15) helped Afghanistan match the total.
In the first Super Over bowled by Lungi Ngidi, Azmatullah carried Afghanistan to 17-0, but Tristan Stubbs hammered a maximum in the final delivery off Fazalhaq Farooqi to tie the match again.
In the second Super Over bowled by Azmatullah Omarzai, Tristan Stubbs and David Miller together hit three sixes as South Africa posted 23/0. Rahmanullah smashed Keshav Maharaj for three consecutive sixes, but his 4-ball 18 went in vain as got out in the final ball, with the Afghans finishing on 19-2 and suffering their second defeat on the trot.
© 2026