Ahmedabad, Feb 11 In an unforgettable T20 World Cup match, South Africa managed to defeat a spirited Afghanistan after two thrilling Super Overs here on Wednesday.
Ryan Rickelton (61 off 28) and Quinton de Kock (59 off 41) put on a brilliant century partnership, scoring rapid fifties to help South Africa reach 187 for six.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (84 off 42) then single-handedly kept Afghanistan in the chase, before some powerful hitting from the lower order helped them tie the game in the regular innings.
What followed was an incredible sequence of two Super Overs, with the momentum constantly shifting after each ball.
In the first Super Over, Azmatullah Omarzai hit Lungi Ngidi for two fours and a six, helping Afghanistan score 17 runs, but Tristan Stubbs hit two sixes off Fazalhaq Farooqi, including one off the last ball, forcing another Super Over.
Davis Miller and Tristan Stubbs then smashed three sixes to score 23 runs in the second Super Over, a challenging target that Rahmanullah Gurbaz made achievable. The opening batsman smashed seasoned left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for three consecutive sixes before getting out, completing a spectacular finish.
In the regular innings, Afghanistan started aggressively in the chase but lost momentum. However, some brilliant hitting from Omarzai, Rashid, and Noor Ahmad, combined with a disastrous final over from Kagiso Rabada (who gave away two no balls), cost South Africa dearly.
Afghanistan started strongly, with Gurbaz (84 off 42; 4x4s, 7x6s) hitting Ngidi for two fours in the opening over.
Gurbaz continued his aggressive approach, hitting Marco Jansen over the slips for a maximum and then hitting Rabada over the third man boundary.
George Linde conceded 17 runs in his opening over, with Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran taking the attack to the opposition, reaching 50 in just four overs.
However, Ngidi stemmed the scoring, taking two wickets in the fifth over, dismissing Zadran and then Gulbadin Naib with a brilliant return catch.
Gurbaz, however, was in excellent form, hitting Linde for two sixes in the eighth over to complete his fifty in 26 balls, helping Afghanistan reach 93 for 3 in 10 overs.
Gurbaz was in great form before twin blows in the 13th over changed the game.
Omarzai (22 off 17) and Rashid (20 off 12) kept Afghanistan in the game, before Noor Ahmed (15 not out off 9) hit two big sixes to bring the target down to 13 off the last six balls.
South Africa seemed to have clinched the match in the first ball of the last over, dismissing Ahmad, but a poorly timed no ball from Rabada allowed the batter to clear the bowler for a maximum.
Rabada then bowled another no ball in the fourth delivery before Ahmad was run out while trying to score the winning run, resulting in a tied game and forcing a Super Over.
Earlier, South Africa had suffered an early setback with captain Aiden Markram (5) getting out.
De Kock then broke the shackles in the fourth over, clearing Mujeeb ur Rahman over the fence and followed it up with a four.
Rickelton then joined the attack, hitting Omarzai (3/41) for two boundaries, helping South Africa reach 43 for 1 in the powerplay.
Both De Kock and Rickelton then accelerated, taking on the spin duo of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid (2/28) with powerful shots.
The duo troubled Ahmad, who conceded 23 runs in his first over.
The attack continued as De Kock reached his fifth T20 World Cup fifty with a boundary off Mujeeb, followed by Rickelton scoring a quick fifty in just 23 balls.
It took some brilliance from Rashid and poor shot selection to break the dangerous partnership, with both De Kock and Rickelton getting out in the 13th over.
Rashid first dismissed De Kock, caught at deep midwicket by Ibrahim Zadran, and then trapped Rickelton plumb in front of the wicket with a quicker delivery.
