Gurbaz Shines but South Africa Wins in Edge-of-Seat Super Over Thriller

What a cricket match at the Narendra Modi Stadium! The last over had a couple of no-balls and a dramatic run-out on a free hit. The match ended in a tie, with both teams scoring the same in the first Super Over. Gurbaz almost won it in the second Super Over, but South Africa finally came out on top in this exciting game.

Earlier, South Africa posted a competitive 187/6 after being asked to bat first, built around a commanding 114-run second-wicket partnership between Quinton de Kock (59) and Ryan Rickelton (61). After losing Aiden Markram early, the two left-handers steadied the innings and brought up their half-centuries to put the Proteas in a strong position.

Rashid Khan turned the tide briefly by dismissing both set batters in the space of three balls, allowing Afghanistan to apply pressure for a while. Dewald Brevis added a useful 23, while David Miller’s unbeaten 20 and Marco Jansen’s late cameo of 16 off 7 ensured a strong finish. Azmatullah Omarzai was the standout bowler with three wickets, while Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi chipped in with two and one wickets, respectively.

Thrilling Tie at Narendra Modi Stadium: South Africa Edges Afghanistan in Super Over Drama

In reply, Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave Afghanistan a flying start, adding 51 runs for the first wicket with Ibrahim Zadran, who contributed 12. However, Gulbadin Naib and Sediqullah Atal departed for ducks as Afghanistan lost three wickets in quick succession to slip to 52/3. Gurbaz continued his aggressive approach and stitched together a crucial 69-run stand with Darwish Rasooli (15) for the fourth wicket. The wicketkeeper-batter brought up his fifty and went on to score a brilliant 84 but couldn’t carry his bat through. Afghanistan lost a couple more wickets soon after, but Azmatullah Omarzai (22) and Rashid Khan (20) played brisk cameos to keep the chase alive, though they couldn’t finish the job.

The game seemed done and dusted until Noor Ahmad turned it on its head. He started with a six and brought the equation down to 13 off the final over with one wicket in hand. Rabada dismissed Noor off the first ball of the final over, but it was a no-ball, a massive turning point. Noor smashed a six to reduce the target to five off four, and another no-ball further dented South Africa.

In a dramatic twist, Fazalhaq Farooqi was run out at the bowler’s end while attempting a second run off a free hit, and the match ended in a tie as Afghanistan were all out for 187 in 19.4 overs. Lungi Ngidi was the standout bowler for South Africa, picking up three wickets. Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, George Linde, and Keshav Maharaj claimed one wicket each, but apart from Maharaj, the other three were slightly expensive.

×

Michael Bracewell Ruled Out of T20 World Cup 2026 After Calf Injury Setback New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell has been ruled out of the rest of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after hurting his left calf again.

by Dwijesh February 11, 2026