Author - Vishwa Kumar

Ahmedabad, India — In what will be remembered as one of the most thrilling matches in T20 World Cup history, South Africa emerged victorious against Afghanistan by a wafer-thin margin of four runs in a second super over after an astonishing encounter witnessed both the regulation game and then the first super over end level. The venue was the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium and the stakes were astronomical. South Africa Sets the Stage Electing to bat, South Africa put up an impressive 187 for 6 in 20 overs courtesy a blazing stand of 114 runs for the second wicket between Quinton de Kock (59) and Ryan Rickelton(61), which kept Proteas cream ahead of the game during their innings. Disciplined bowling by Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan, helped Afghanistan push back by putting brakes on its scoring to keep the match finely balanced. Rahmanullah Gurbaz Heroic Chase In response, Afghanistan roared with fearless intent. Rahmanullah Gurbaz shattered tradition with a stunning 84 off 42 balls, which included seven monster sixes — the most by an Afghan in a Men’s T20 World Cup match. His savage onslaught kept Afghanistan in the chase at every stage. But, in the face of his heroics, a run out at one end and then more regular wickets meant Afghanistan were all out for 187 after the final over — level with South Africa and forcing a Super Over. Super Overs: A Game of Nerves When the scores are level at the end, a Super Over — one additional over per side — is played to determine a winner. First Super Over Batting first, Afghanistan made 17-0, but South Africa replied with the same score after Tristan Stubbs hit a last-ball six to force the match into its first ever second Super Over. Second Super Over South Africa this time gave a daunting target of 23 runs, with exciting quick hitting by Stubbs and David Miller (16). In response Afghanistan hit back – Gurbaz three sixes in a row – but was left at 19 for 2, and South Africa squeaked home by the narrowest of margins. Player Quotes & Post-Match Reactions South African Camp Aiden Markram (South Africa captain): It’s hard to explain all of that in a capsule. Tough competition — these dudes were riding us so hard. We made it difficult for ourselves, we did not have to do that but credit to them . Whenever you represent your country you sing it loud, and right now was one of those moments. I hope we’ll stay together and develop from this. Lungi Ngidi (Player of the Match): “I’ve never been that nervous in my life in a game of cricket. Glad to be on the winning side. The captain said to me that you just bowl the way that I do — just keep bowling my slow balls and back to project. It wasn’t perfect, but we did it." There were tears and hugs in the dressing room afterwards, with players patting each other on the back after pulling through together when they absolutely had to. Afghan Response Afghan players, while heartbroken, were proud of their effort: Rahmanullah Gurbaz: "We left it all out there. To end up this close it’s just the strength and the mentality in our team. I’m proud of the way we fought, but obviously wanted to close it out. We will learn from this and come back stronger.” Bare of the official press quotes from Afghan players which, as we all know is some of the best content served up in our grand old game; over social media and chats with players though, there was palpable pride laced with the very particular agony that comes at losing a tight one — especially after you’ve almost managed to achieve something impossible. FAQs What were the scores in the Super Overs?Super Over 1:Afghanistan: 17/0South Africa: 17/1Super Over 2:South Africa: 23/0Afghanistan: 19/2How many runs did Rahmanullah Gurbaz score?Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored a brilliant 84 runs off 42 balls, hitting seven sixes and leading Afghanistan’s chase.Who were the top performers for South Africa?Quinton de Kock: 59 runsRyan Rickelton: 61 runsKey contributions in Super Overs from David Miller and Tristan Stubbs.Who is not allowed to bat in a second Super Over?Any batter who was dismissed in the previous Super Over cannot bat in the next Super Over. Only remaining eligible players can be nominated.How many batters can bat in a Super Over?A team nominates three batters. The innings ends after six balls or when two wickets fall.

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Author: Vishwa Kumar

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