Ahmedabad, February 11 South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton struggled to describe his side's thrilling T20 World Cup win over Afghanistan after two Super Overs, saying that he was just pleased to get over the line in the end.
In a game for the ages, South Africa managed to get past a spirited Afghanistan after two wildly oscillating Super Overs.
Rickelton (61 off 28) and Quinton de Kock (59 off 41) put together a brilliant century stand, scoring brisk fifties to power South Africa to 187 for six in the Group D match.
Afghanistan matched that total but failed to knock off the required 23 runs when the game went into a six-ball shootout for the second time on a tense day. South Africa had matched Afghanistan's total of 17 in the first Super Over.
"Cricket is tough. That's the main thing I think. Yes, it was a fantastic game. I don't even have enough words to describe it. I'm just really happy that we managed to win," Rickelton said at the post-match press conference.
"We were all anxious, sitting upstairs, hoping for the best. It was an absolutely incredible game. Yes, we were all in it. We managed to stay focused. And it was a tough game," said the 29-year-old, who scored a brilliant 61 off 28 balls.
Kagiso Rabada's two no-balls in the final over cost South Africa dearly, but Rickelton said the team has rallied behind the fast bowler.
"We'll give him (Rabada) some time, but we'll support him. We'll probably give him some drinks later. And yes, he's one of us through thick and thin, so he's always going to be there," Rickelton said.
In the second Super Over, Keshav Maharaj bowled a dot ball and then dismissed an Afghanistan batsman, needing to hit sixes off the remaining four balls. Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit three consecutive sixes but was dismissed off the final ball.
When asked about the atmosphere in the dugout during that period, Rickelton said, "Obviously, there was a lot of anxiety. I said to Dave, who was sitting next to me, 'Come on, two dots, and we win this game.' We were getting three sixes in a row.
"You obviously felt that pressure, so we were just standing there, hoping that it wouldn't happen. But I guess we're just really happy that we managed to pull it off," Rickelton added.
When asked why Maharaj was chosen to bowl the second Super Over, Rickelton said, "I actually wasn't sure. I thought KG or Marco would bowl, but Shukri suggested Kesh should bowl. And yeah, credit where credit is due. I guess it worked.
"It came down to the wire. We tried to change our strategy, slow balls and wide balls, to try and get them to hit sixes over extra cover. That would have been the plan," Rickelton explained.
Regarding David Miller and Tristan Stubbs coming in to bat for the second Super Over, Rickelton said, "It's generally a discussion between our key hitters, Dave (Miller) and Aiden (Markram). Quinny (De Kock) and I and Aiden were all in the options.
"But that's why we have guys like Miller and Stubbs, who can finish games, hit those low full tosses for six, and Stubbo hitting that low full toss for six to take us to the second over proves exactly why they're worth their money," Rickelton added.
"It was incredibly difficult, but the discussion was always about our big hitters, Brevis, Stubbs, and Miller. They were always going to be our key players," he said.
He admitted that the Afghanistan match was a "proper wake-up call" for his team.
"Things you can't take for granted. Afghanistan is a serious cricket team. No one ever underestimated them. It's just about the small details when you have opportunities to close out games or when you have the upper hand. You can't let any team back in.
"So it was a good wake-up call for all of us, and we can improve in several areas. It's a good reminder to stay focused, maintain sharpness, and to stay ahead," Rickelton concluded.
Speaking about their fielding, he said, "Fielding makes a huge difference. We have a really good fielding unit. We have guys who catch well and move quickly. George's catch to dismiss Gurbaz was a game-changing moment.
"Our fielding, both on the ground and in the air, is quite good," Rickelton added.
