There was tremendous drama at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, but it had a sad ending for Rahmanullah Gurbaz on Wednesday (February 11). Afghanistan’s star opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was left heartbroken after his team lost a thrilling double Super Over against South Africa in their crucial Group D encounter of the T20 World Cup 2026.
South Africa win dramatic double Super Over as Rahmanullah Gurbaz falls
As the South African players celebrated wildly, Gurbaz sat alone near the boundary rope, completely dejected, with tears streaming down his face as pictures emerged on the internet.
Also read: Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen take brilliant catches as Afghanistan struggle in T20 World Cup 2026
Afghanistan came close to pulling off one of the most memorable wins in T20 World Cup history, yet victory slipped away in the most dramatic fashion after Gurbaz failed to hit a six off the last ball against South Africa.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is absolutely devastated and is sitting alone in tears.
– Bemused by Gurbaz, he gave his all but still somehow Afghanistan lost. pic.twitter.com/freDoqZuI1
– Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) 11 February 2026
– Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) 11 February 2026
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is really crying and is sitting alone in tears.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, you are a warrior Well played @RGurbaz_21#AFGvSA #SAvsAFG #T20WorldCup #AfghanistanCricket pic.twitter.com/DW2eOGrINa– Visionary EV Media (@Visionary_eagle) 11 February 2026
The Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman showed great courage under pressure and gave his all, yet he could not lead his team to victory. South Africa scored 187 runs for 6 wickets with the help of Quinton de Kock’s 59 and Ryan Rickelton’s 61 runs, after which Afghanistan showed great intentions while chasing the target.
The drama of the first Super Over ended in a tie after Gurbaz’s sensational innings.
Gurbaz attacked the Proteas bowlers and played a brilliant inning of 84 runs in just 42 balls. However, Afghanistan were all out for 187 runs in 19.4 overs. The score was tied and the match went into a super over. This was the first super over of this T20 World Cup.
In the first Super Over, Afghanistan batted first and scored 17 runs without losing any wicket. Azmatullah Umarzai hit two fours and a six off Lungi Ngidi. After this, South Africa chased 17 runs on the last ball, in which Tristan Stubbs equalized the score again by hitting a six.
Also read: Quinton de Kock beats AB de Villiers to become South Africa’s best batsman in T20 World Cup
Due to this a second super over had to be conducted. In the second Super Over, South Africa batted first and scored 23 runs, with David Miller scoring 16 runs and Stubbs scoring 7 runs, which included a six. While chasing 24 runs in 6 balls, Gurbaz almost created history for Afghanistan.
Second super over sad for Afghanistan
The right-handed batsman hit three sixes in the first three balls and brought his team very close to the target. But the Afghan star was out on the fourth ball when just five runs were needed, resulting in South Africa winning an unforgettable Super Over, leaving Afghanistan heartbroken.
After the heart-breaking defeat, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan praised Gurbaz. “Amazing innings; that’s what he is famous for. In the last few overs in the powerplay, where we lost quick wickets, we put him on the back foot. Overall, he played amazing,” Rashid said at the post-match presentation.
Afghanistan’s Super 8 hopes ended as New Zealand and South Africa dominate Group D
Notably, after losing the first match of T20 World Cup 2026 to New Zealand, it was necessary for Afghanistan to win this match. This defeat has already weakened their chances of qualifying for the next round of the tournament. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the Super 8 round.
Currently, New Zealand and South Africa top the Group D points table, having won both their opening games with four points each. Now, Afghanistan will have to win their last two group matches against UAE and Canada, but that will not be enough, as they are also dependent on results against New Zealand and South Africa in their last two matches to progress in the tournament.
