Three sixes in three balls. Rahmanullah Gurbaz took Afghanistan across the finish line in the second Super Over against South Africa. They needed six runs on the last ball to win the match and then four runs to level the match.
Gurbaz was on strike; The bowler was Keshav Maharaj. The right-handed batsman hit the ball on the off side but did not find the gap. The ball went straight into the safe hands of David Miller. South Africa won by 4 runs in the second super over. The Afghan camp was destroyed.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the star performer for Afghanistan
Afghanistan, especially Rahmanullah Gurbaz, tried their best to get the much needed win in the match. But the game called cricket can sometimes be rude. After the match, when the cricketers went back to their respective dugouts, Gurbaz sat in disbelief with his head on his left palm.
Hours after the match, the batsman, who may be a hero for the entire nation, expressed how difficult the situation was for him and the team as they went all out with the hope of achieving victory. With a broken heart, he thanked all those who supported the Afghanistan cricket team throughout the match.
Gurbaaz expressed his views in an Instagram post
“Every match teaches us something. Today, we gave our all and fought till the last moment, but it was not our day. Still, your love and support means more to us than words,” Gurbaz wrote in his recent Instagram post.
He said, “We are grateful to each and every one of you who has stood with us through every ups and downs. We will learn, improve and come back stronger than ever. Together, always.”
Afghanistan vs South Africa match summary
Batting first, South Africa scored 187 runs for 6 wickets in 20 overs. Afghanistan also made the same claim before losing their last batsman. In the run chase, Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a brilliant inning of 84 runs in 42 balls with the help of seven sixes and four fours.
He showed the same temperament during the second Super Over when Afghanistan needed 24 runs to win the contest. With Gurbaz going on strike, Afghans began to believe that they could write history in Ahmedabad.
The right-handed batsman hit three sixes in three balls; They were immediately back in the equation again. But, as Gurbaz said, it was not his day.
The pair of Keshav Maharaj and David Miller gave the most important wicket to South Africa. Afghanistan scored 19 runs against South Africa’s 23 runs in the second super over.
Two consecutive defeats for Rashid Khan and his team. First against New Zealand, then against South Africa. Their chances of qualifying for the next round are beginning to diminish.
Afghanistan’s next match will be against United Arab Emirates on February 16 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
read more: How can Afghanistan qualify for Super 8 even after consecutive defeats in T20 World Cup 2026?