South Africa Survives Double Super Over Thriller Against Afghanistan in T20 World Cup
Ahmedabad, 11 February 2026
In an extraordinary T20 World Cup encounter that required two Super Overs to decide the winner, South Africa narrowly defeated Afghanistan by four runs in Ahmedabad on 11 February 2026. Both teams scored exactly 187 runs in their regular 20-over innings, forcing the dramatic finish that has only occurred twice before in T20 international cricket. Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashed 84 runs and hit three consecutive sixes in the final Super Over before being caught on the last ball, denying his team what would have been cricket’s first triple Super Over match.
South African Batting Foundation Sets the Stage
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium, immediately setting an aggressive tone through their opening partnership [1]. Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton established a formidable foundation with a 114-run partnership, with de Kock contributing 59 runs off 41 balls and Rickelton adding 61 runs off 28 balls [2][3]. De Kock’s innings was particularly significant as it saw him surpass AB de Villiers as South Africa’s highest scorer in T20 World Cup history [4]. However, Afghanistan’s spin attack, led by captain Rashid Khan, struck back effectively in the middle overs, dismissing both set batsmen in the 13th over to shift the momentum [4].
Afghanistan’s Thrilling Chase Falls Just Short
Afghanistan’s response began disastrously as they collapsed from 51/0 to 52/3 in quick succession [5]. Lungi Ngidi proved instrumental in this early breakthrough, dismissing Ibrahim Zadran for 12 runs and Gulbadin Naib for a duck in the fifth over, whilst Kagiso Rabada removed Sediqullah Atal for zero in the following over [4]. However, Rahmanullah Gurbaz mounted a spectacular counter-attack, scoring 84 runs off just 42 balls to keep Afghanistan’s hopes alive throughout their innings [2][3]. The wicket-keeper batsman’s aggressive approach included multiple boundaries and sixes that kept the required run rate within reach despite the early setbacks.
Double Super Over Drama Delivers Historic Finish
The first Super Over saw Afghanistan set South Africa a target of 18 runs, with Azmatullah Omarzai conceding 17 runs to Lungi Ngidi’s bowling [2]. South Africa’s response through Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs initially appeared successful, with Brevis hitting a crucial six and Stubbs adding a boundary and another six [5]. However, South Africa managed only 17 runs in their Super Over, creating an unprecedented tie that forced cricket’s third-ever double Super Over scenario [3][4]. Prior to this match, only two T20I matches had been settled by multiple Super Overs: India vs Afghanistan in 2024 and Netherlands vs Nepal in 2025 [4].