T20 World Cup 2026: Afghanistan vs South Africa- As it Happened

T20 World Cup 2026: Afghanistan vs South Africa - As it happened

Afghanistan vs South Africa Toss update

Rashid Khan won the toss and Afghanistan chose to field first.

Afghanistan XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan(c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi South Africa XI: Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi

• Afghanistan have kept a check on the run-rate

The Proteas after the end of powerplay have managed 43 and lost Aiden Markram (5)

• 23 off the Noor Ahmad over!

🟢South Africa have scored 66 in the last 31 deliveries.

🟢Ryan Rickleton (44*) & Quinton de Kock (48*) have added 86 off 45.

🟢 SA - 98/1 (10)

• Fifty for Quinton de Kock - yet again. His fifth in T20 World Cups🔥

  
  

  Most runs for SA in T20 World Cup

  
  

  Quinton de Kock - 726*

  AB de Villiers - 717

  JP Duminy - 568

  David Miller - 462

Most 50-plus scores for SA in T20 WC

5 - AB de Villiers

5 - Quinton de Kock*

4 - Aiden Markram

• Ryan Rickelton has been in tremendous run and his form continues. He's unbeaten on 61* off only 27.

• Quinton de Kock departs. A nothing delivery, too short, and de Kock was looking to back away and muscle it over the longest side ends up picking the man who was five yards in. He departs for 59 (41)

A partnership to remember

Highest partnership for the Proteas (Men) in T20 WCs (any wkt)

168 - Q de Kock, R Rossouw vs BAN, Sydney, 2022

120* - H Gibbs, J Kemp vs WI, Jo’burg, 2007

114 - Q de Kock, R Rickelton vs AFG, Ahmedabad, 2026

110 - Q de Kock, A Markram vs USA, North Sound, 2024

Rashid Khan strikes

• South Africa have reviewed an lbw decision. This one skids through off a length and has beaten Ryan Rickelton on the inside edge. Not too far for the ball to travel, and that explains why ball tracking projects this to hit the stumps. South Africa lose a review. Rashid is pumped and Rickleton departs for a magnificent 61 off only 28.

Afganistan fight back

Only 19 runs in the last 4 overs for South Africa and after an absolute onslaught by Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickleton, the Proteas have struggled to keep up the the tempo. 143/3 after 16.

150 up for South Africa

Dewald Brevis pulls one into the stands, 10 come off the 17th over and South Africa now are 153/3. Can they get to 190?

4 down

Dewald Brevis departs. Flat-bats one straight to mid-off and Afghanistan get another wicket. The fightback continues. Dewald Brevis c Nabi b Azmatullah 23(19) [4s-1 6s-1]

SA have only score 32 off the last 30 deliveries and have lost three wickets in the process - at 17.4.

Stubbs goes

Tristan Stubbs tries to scoop one over the short-fine fielder but the connection isn't the best. He departs for 1. The Proteas are now 5 down for 159 (18). Azmatullah Omarzai gets two in the over.

17 off the 19th over. Marco Jansen puts his long levers to use. South Africa - 176/5 (19). How many can they get in the final over?

A wicket off the final ball of the innings and South Africa finish with 187/6. Azmatullah Omarzai bags a three-fer.

Afganistan vs South Africa - The Chase

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is on the charge. The Afghan opener has moved swiftly to 25* off 13.

AFG after 3 - 33/0. They need 155 more off 102 deliveries.

17 off the 4th over. Both Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have take on George Linde. 50 up for Afghanistan and they've done it without taking many risks.

Lungi Ngidi strikes

Ibrahim Zadran charges down the track,Ngidi rolls his arm over the delivery, Zadran misses it and the sound of timber means the Proteas get their first breakthrough.

Zadran departs for 12 (10). One brings two and the dangerous Gulbadin Naib heads back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers.

Ngidi gets two in the over.

Three down in quick succession

Kagiso Rabada strikes for the Proteas. Sediqullah Atal flicks one straight to the fielder at short-fine. Not the best delivery from Rabada but he gets the job done.

AFG - 52/3 (5.2) Fifty for Rahmanullah Gurbaz

A loft over covers for six and Gurbaz gets to his fifty off only 26 deliveries. His 13th in T20Is.

This 26-ball fifty by Gurbaz is second quickest for Afghanistan in T20 World Cup. Previous best - 24 balls by Shafiqullah Shinwari against Hong Kong in 2014.

Most 50-plus scores for AFG in T20Is

14 - Rahmanullah Gurbaz

14 - Ibrahim Zadran

13 - Mohammad Shahzad

Gurbaz departs - Keshav Maharaj strikes

Just when you though Rahmanullah Gurbaz was taking the game away from South Africa, a loopy delivery from Maharaj does the trick. Gurbaz tries to go over covers gets the outside edge and George Linde dives to his left to complete a fine catch.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Linde b Maharaj 84 (42b 4x4 7x6) SR: 200

5 down

Outstanding work from de Kock. Omarzai slaps this straight to point. There's plenty of yes and no, de Kock fires a throw at the non-striker's end and that's that.

AFG - 121/5 (13)

Afghanistan still in the hunt

31 runs in the last three overs and Afghanistan now need 30 off the last 18. Can skipper Rashid Khan win it for them?

6 off the 18 over and an important wicket of Azmatullah Omarzai. AFG need 24 off 12 and it's all on Rashid Khan.

Rashid Khan goes and so do Afghanistan's hopes

What a catch! Rashid Khan strikes straight, gets decent connection, looked like it was going all the way but David Miller slides and holds on to it. Brilliant effort and with Rashid's dismissal, is it game over for Afghanistan? AFG - 169/8 BANG!

Noor Ahmad smashes a 98m six. Who knew he could do that.

13 off 8. Taken!

But wait a minute, it's a no-ball. Follows it up with a wide.

11 off 5.

SIX

Noor Ahmad smashes one over the rope. What an innings.

5 off 3.

Two more & a no-ball. What is Kagiso Rabada doing? 2 required off 3 deliveries. Noor Ahmad drives, the batters scurry for two, the throw comes in and Rabada takes the stumps off.

The bat is in the air - the scores are level. It's a super over. WHAT A GAME!

The Super Over 🔥 AFG bat first. Azmatullah Omarzai to face the first delivery.

Yorker - squeezed away. FOUR

SIX

Slower one, Omarzai gives it a whack, mistimes it and the tallest man on the park can't get a hand to it.

Afghanistan score 17 in the super over and the Proteas tie the super over.

The 2nd Super Over

David Miller and Tristan Stubbs score 23 in the 2nd super over.

6 1 2 6 6 2

Keshav Maharaj started with a dot, removed Mohammad Nabi and Afghanistan required 24 off 4.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz walked in went 6, 6, 6.

With 6 required off the last delivery, Maharaj darted one wide and held his nerve removing Gurbaz off the final delivery.

South Africa win the 2nd super over by 4 runs.

WHAT A GAME!