AHMEDABAD – In a gripping and dramatic finish at the ICC T20 World Cup, South Africa triumphed over Afghanistan in a thrilling second Super Over after the match had ended in a tie following the initial Super Over at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmadabad.
After Afghanistan posted 17 runs in their Super Over, South Africa matched it to force a second round of extra play.
In the second Super Over, South Africa, led by David Miller and Tristan Stubbs, posted a challenging 23 runs. Afghanistan, needing 24 runs to win, managed to score 19 in the final over, giving the Proteas a hard-fought victory by 4 runs.
Earlier, Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bowl first, allowing South Africa to bat. The Proteas set a challenging target, finishing with 187/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Rassie van der Dussen and Quinton de Kock were the stars with the bat. Van der Dussen played a blistering knock of 61 off 28 balls, while de Kock scored a solid 59 off 41 balls. The pair shared a 114-run partnership for the second wicket, laying a strong foundation for the South African total.
Afghanistan fought back with the ball, as Azmatullah Omarzai claimed 3 wickets, while captain Rashid Khan took 2 and Fazal Haq Farooqi took 1 wicket to keep the Proteas from running away with the game.
Chasing a target of 188, Afghanistan got off to a quick start with Rahmanullah Gurbaz leading the charge. His blistering 84, which included 2 fours and 3 sixes, kept Afghanistan in the hunt. Despite contributions from Azmatullah Omarzai (22) and Rashid Khan (20), Afghanistan fell short by just 4 runs in the final Super Over.
