Last Updated: August 21, 2026
Direct Answer: The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard shows a thrilling ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match in Ahmedabad. South Africa scored 187/6 in 20 overs, with Ryan Rickelton making 61 and Quinton de Kock scoring 59. Afghanistan matched the score, finishing on 187 all out in 19.4 overs, led by Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s brilliant 84. The match went into a Super Over, which also ended in a tie. South Africa finally won the second Super Over by 4 runs, making it one of the most exciting matches of the tournament.
Quick Glance
| Match Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | RSA vs AFG • 13th Match, Group D • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 |
| Series | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 |
| Date | Wednesday, February 11, 2026 |
| Time | 11:00 AM Local • 5:30 AM GMT • 11:00 AM IST |
| Toss | Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bowl |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Umpires | Jayaraman Madanagopal, Sharfuddoula |
| 3rd Umpire | Nitin Menon |
| Match Referee | Dave Gilbert |
South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram (c) | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 62.50 |
| Quinton de Kock (wk) | 59 | 41 | 5 | 3 | 143.90 |
| Ryan Rickelton | 61 | 28 | 5 | 4 | 217.86 |
| Dewald Brevis | 23 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 121.05 |
| David Miller | 20* | 15 | 1 | 1 | 133.33 |
| Tristan Stubbs | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Marco Jansen | 16 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 228.57 |
| Extras | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 187/6 | 20 Overs | — | — | RR: 9.35 |
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | NB | WD | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 4 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.00 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 3 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.00 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 4 | 0 | 41 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10.25 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.00 |
| Rashid Khan (c) | 4 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Noor Ahmad | 3 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.67 |
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) | 84 | 42 | 4 | 7 | 200.00 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 120.00 |
| Gulbadin Naib | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Sediqullah Atal | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Darwish Rasooli | 15 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 22 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 129.41 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Rashid Khan (c) | 20 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 166.67 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Noor Ahmad | 15* | 9 | 0 | 2 | 166.67 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Extras | 14 | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 187/10 | 19.4 Overs | — | — | RR: 9.51 |
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | NB | WD | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lungi Ngidi | 4 | 0 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6.50 |
| Marco Jansen | 4 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10.50 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3.4 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10.40 |
| George Linde | 3 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13.00 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 4 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6.75 |
| Aiden Markram (c) | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.00 |
The Timeline That Made This Match Unforgettable
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Timeline can almost be described as a roller coaster.
South Africa started steadily, lost Markram early, and then exploded through the de Kock-Rickelton partnership. Afghanistan fought back through Rashid Khan and Omarzai, but South Africa still reached 187/6.
Then Gurbaz arrived.
His 84 gave Afghanistan the belief that 188 was absolutely chaseable. South Africa kept taking wickets, but Afghanistan kept finding runs. Going into the final over, Afghanistan needed 13 runs.
The final over became chaos. South Africa could not close the game in regulation time, and Afghanistan reached 187 before being bowled out at 19.4 overs.
That created the first Super Over.
First Super Over: Still No Winner
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard gets unusual here because the first Super Over also ended in a tie.
Afghanistan scored 17/0, and South Africa matched that score with 17/1. The match was therefore still level.
Normally, one Super Over is enough to settle a T20 game. Here, it simply created another question: who could survive the second one?
According to the ICC, this became the first match in men’s T20 World Cup history to require two Super Overs to decide the result.
Second Super Over: South Africa Finally Breaks Free
The second Super Over finally produced a winner.
David Miller and Tristan Stubbs helped South Africa reach 23/0. That gave Afghanistan a target that looked difficult but not impossible in such a short format.
Keshav Maharaj then made the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Mohammad Nabi early in Afghanistan’s response. Gurbaz responded with three consecutive sixes, keeping the contest alive, but South Africa eventually restricted Afghanistan to 19/2.
South Africa won by four runs.
So the final line in the South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard is simple:
South Africa won after two Super Overs.
But simple is not the word anyone should use for the actual match.
South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Players
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Players list featured several established international names.
For South Africa, the squad included Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi. Afghanistan’s group included Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Players who made the biggest statistical impact were Rickelton and de Kock for South Africa, and Gurbaz for Afghanistan.
Gurbaz’s 84 was the highest score of the match. Rickelton’s 61 came at a remarkable strike rate of 217.86. Ngidi’s 3/26 was the best South African bowling performance in the main innings.
South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Standings
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Standings picture was also important because this was a Group D match at the T20 World Cup.
ICC reported that South Africa moved to second in Group D after this victory, while Afghanistan suffered their second consecutive defeat and were left with a very difficult route toward the Super 8 stage.
The win mattered beyond the scoreboard. In a World Cup group, even a match decided by four runs can have a major effect on qualification hopes.
South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Matches and Rivalry
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Matches have become interesting because the two teams bring very different strengths.
South Africa traditionally offer pace, power and athletic fielding. Afghanistan bring world-class spin options and aggressive batting. When those styles meet in T20 cricket, things can move very quickly.
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Matches can therefore be difficult to predict. A team may dominate for eight overs and then suddenly lose control in two overs.
That is exactly what happened here.
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Stats from this match also show how closely balanced the contest became. Both sides scored 187 in regulation time, despite Afghanistan being bowled out with two balls still remaining.
Expert Opinion
Expert Opinion: From a cricket-analysis point of view, South Africa’s biggest strength was their ability to create pressure even after Afghanistan had built momentum. Ngidi’s spell was especially valuable because his 3/26 helped South Africa repeatedly interrupt Afghanistan’s chase.
Afghanistan’s biggest positive was their batting response. Gurbaz’s 84 at a 200 strike rate kept the chase alive when the match seemed to be slipping away.
The key lesson is simple: in T20 cricket, a strong total is never completely safe. South Africa posted 187, but Afghanistan matched it. The Proteas eventually won because they handled the extraordinary Super Over situation better.
This is also why a South Africa vs Afghanistan Prediction before the match would have been less useful than it looked on paper. Once a contest reaches two Super Overs, predictions become little more than educated guesses.
South Africa vs Afghanistan Highlights and Important Numbers
If you are checking South Africa vs Afghanistan Highlights, these are the numbers worth remembering:
- South Africa: 187/6
- Afghanistan: 187 all out
- Quinton de Kock: 59 off 41
- Ryan Rickelton: 61 off 28
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 84 off 42
- Lungi Ngidi: 3/26
- First Super Over: 17-17
- Second Super Over: South Africa 23/0
- Afghanistan second Super Over: 19/2
- Final result: South Africa won by 4 runs
For readers searching South Africa vs Afghanistan Scorecard, the official Cricbuzz scorecard is the best place to verify the individual batting, bowling, fall-of-wicket and partnership figures.
You can check the full South Africa vs Afghanistan Live scorecard and ball-by-ball information on Cricbuzz’s official scorecard.
For tournament-level information, match reports and official updates, readers can also refer to ICC’s official T20 World Cup coverage.
Conclusion
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard records a South African victory, but that description barely captures what happened.
South Africa scored 187/6. Afghanistan replied with 187. The first Super Over ended 17-17. Then South Africa scored 23 in the second Super Over and restricted Afghanistan to 19/2.
Rickelton’s explosive 61, de Kock’s 59, Gurbaz’s brilliant 84 and Ngidi’s 3/26 were among the biggest individual performances. Yet the defining story was composure under pressure.
The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Timeline shows a match that refused to end normally. The South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Standings also show why the result mattered in Group D.
In short, this was not merely another South Africa National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team encounter. It was a World Cup thriller that needed two Super Overs to find its winner.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who won the South Africa vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2026 match?
South Africa won the match against Afghanistan after the game went through two Super Overs. South Africa eventually won the second Super Over by 4 runs.
2. What was South Africa’s score against Afghanistan?
South Africa scored 187/6 in 20 overs. Ryan Rickelton scored 61 runs, while Quinton de Kock added 59 runs.
3. What was Afghanistan’s score against South Africa?
Afghanistan scored 187 all out in 19.4 overs, tying the match in regulation time.
4. Who scored the most runs in the match?
Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the highest scorer. He made an excellent 84 runs from 42 balls, including seven sixes.
5. What happened in the first Super Over?
The first Super Over also ended in a tie. Afghanistan scored 17/0, while South Africa made 17/1, so another Super Over was needed.
6. How did South Africa win the second Super Over?
South Africa scored 23/0 in the second Super Over. Afghanistan managed 19/2, giving South Africa a 4-run victory.
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