South Africa and Afghanistan delivered an all-time classic in Ahmedabad at the 2026 T20 World Cup, a gripping contest that had the cricketing world glued to their screens as the match went down to a dramatic double Super Over. Played out like a nail-biting thriller, the contest saw neither side willing to surrender an inch, let alone the crucial two points. In the end, South Africa held their nerve to sneak past Afghanistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium, sealing back-to-back wins in the T20 World Cup. It was only the third instance in international cricket where a game went into a double Super Over — and the first time it has happened in a T20 World Cup. Overall, it marked just the fourth such occurrence in T20 cricket, with the Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings clash in IPL 2020 being another memorable example.
The real drama unfolded in the final over when Afghanistan required 13 runs from Kagiso Rabada with just one wicket left. Noor Ahmad mistimed the opening delivery and was caught by Aiden Markram inside the circle, sparking early South African celebrations. However, the siren soon sounded for a no-ball as Rabada had overstepped, giving Afghanistan a lifeline. Noor kept his composure and launched a six off the next legal delivery to keep the chase alive. Tension continued to build before chaos struck again on the fourth ball, when Fazalhaq Farooqi was run out while attempting a desperate second run. With the scores level after a nerve-wracking finish, the high-octane clash was pushed into a Super Over, leaving fans on the edge of their seats.
Afghanistan chose to send Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz to bat in the super over, with Markram choosing Lungi Ngidi for the big job with the ball. Omarzai smashed a four and a six on the first two balls to straightaway put pressure on the pacer. The Afghan all-rounder finished the super over with a four to make it 17 in the over.
South Africa then walked in needing 17 in the Super Over, with Dewald Brevis and David Miller trusted with the chase. Brevis got going with a towering six off the second ball, but the very next delivery brought another twist as he perished trying to keep the momentum. Tristan Stubbs arrived and made an instant impact, cracking a boundary first up to keep the Proteas in the hunt. Fazalhaq Farooqi stayed calm under pressure and fired in a crucial dot on the fifth ball, leaving South Africa staring at a steep equation. Seven were needed off the final delivery — only a six could force another Super Over — and Stubbs delivered in style, launching it over long-on to take the contest into a second Super Over.
The drama continues…
With the stakes soaring, a second Super Over was needed to separate the two sides, and this time South Africa were asked to bat first. David Miller and Tristan Stubbs headed out with the pressure firmly on their shoulders. Stubbs took strike and made an instant statement, hammering a six off the very first ball from Azmatullah Omarzai to seize early momentum. The tension only grew as every run began to matter more. Then Miller took charge and turned the heat up, smashing consecutive sixes on the fourth and fifth deliveries to put Afghanistan on the back foot. Riding on those powerful blows and sharp running between the wickets, the Proteas piled up a daunting 23 runs, throwing down a massive challenge in the decider.
Keshav Maharaj had the responsibility of defending 24 runs against a fired-up Afghanistan lineup, and he struck early by dismissing Mohammad Nabi on the second ball, leaving the equation at 24 from four deliveries as Rahmanullah Gurbaz walked in. The opener, already riding high after his 84 in the chase, refused to back down and brought the drama right back into the contest. He launched a six off his first ball, followed it up with another maximum, and then sent one more soaring into the stands to keep hopes alive. With six needed off the final delivery, Maharaj bowled a wide, reducing the target to five for victory and four to force yet another Super Over. The tension was unbearable, but Maharaj held firm as Gurbaz found Miller at point, sealing a four-run win for South Africa.
Afghanistan came within touching distance of registering their maiden T20I win over South Africa, but when it came down to handling the pressure in the cl
