In a high-stakes encounter that reshaped the Group 1 standings, South Africa delivered a masterclass in scientific T20 cricket to defeat India by 76 runs within the Super 8 of the T20 World Cup 2026. Held on Sunday (February 23), on the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the forty third match of the event noticed the Proteas break India’s 12-match profitable streak in emphatic vogue.
Regardless of a sensational opening spell by Jasprit Bumrah, who completed with 3 for 15 and have become India’s main wicket-taker in T20 World Cup historical past, the Indian batting lineup faltered underneath strain. Chasing a formidable goal of 188, the Males in Blue had been bundled out for a mere 111 in 18.5 overs, leaving their semifinal hopes hanging by a thread.
Suryakumar Yadav explains the place the sport slipped away from India
Following the crushing defeat, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was candid in regards to the turning level of the match. Whereas the bowlers initially had South Africa reeling at 20/3, the Indian chase suffered an similar, if no more damaging, collapse.
“Typically, it’s important to suppose you can not win the sport within the powerplay, however you possibly can lose it. We misplaced too many wickets early on, and if you end up chasing 185-plus, you want these small partnerships to maintain the scoreboard ticking. We merely didn’t have the partnerships we would have liked right this moment. We may have batted a lot better,” Suryakumar remarked in the course of the post-match presentation.
India’s high order, that includes Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma, struggled towards the tempo and bounce of Marco Jansen, who dismantled the lineup with figures of 4 for 22. By the point the powerplay concluded, India was already looking at a steep climb, unable to recuperate from the early lack of rhythm.
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South Africa ship assertion efficiency towards India to safe a dominant victory
The narrative of the match was outlined by how every staff dealt with the center overs. After the preliminary wobble, South Africa discovered heroes in David Miller (63 off 35) and the younger Dewald Brevis (45 off 29), who stitched collectively a 97-run partnership. This restoration allowed Tristan Stubbs to offer a late flourish, propelling the Proteas to 187/7.
Suryakumar acknowledged that whereas India began properly with the ball, the sport slipped away between overs 7 and 15. He said, “We had been all the time within the recreation once we began. We bowled rather well to start with, however from 7-15, they batted exceptionally properly to take the sport away. We did handle to come back again towards the top, however the injury was executed.”
He additionally heaped reward on the South African bowling duo of Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, noting their tactical self-discipline.
“Everybody is aware of their mixture has been deadly. They bowl properly in partnerships, selecting up key wickets whereas holding the run price underneath management. Chasing on this floor required a extra measured method, and so they didn’t give us any room to breathe,” Suryakumar concluded.
With this loss, India’s Web Run Charge has taken a large hit, making their upcoming fixtures towards Zimbabwe and West Indies must-win encounters.
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