Why Afghanistan vs South Africa Humdinger Was The Greatest T20 World Cup Match Ever?

South Africa choke twice, still defeat Afghanistan [Source: @ACBofficials/x]

Many cricket matches are played, some are remembered, and fewer live on as timeless spectacles that redefine the very limits of on-field drama and resolve.

The match unfolded at the grand Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 11 belonged firmly in that rare bracket, with neither side willing to yield an inch until the very last moment.

With Afghanistan taking on South Africa in a crucial Group D fixture of the ICC T20 World Cup, what was meant to be a T20I match ended up lasting 44 overs before the Proteas collectively held their nerves and found themselves a boundary ahead of Rashid Khan’s spirited troops.

Packed with all the ingredients of an all-time T20I classic, the Afghanistan vs South Africa humdinger might well be remembered as the greatest T20 World Cup match ever played, possibly even rivelling some of the very best from ODI World Cups.

Afghanistan vs South Africa- A match that defied cricketing gods in a never-ending cracker

As it panned out, South Africa whipped out 187-6 in 20 overs after getting invited to bat first. Run-machine Quinton de Kock plundered 59 off 41, and number three Ryan Rickelton slapped an electrifying 28-ball 61.

In an innings where runs were scored at a brisk 9.35 an over, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan conceded just 27 off his four overs with the added bonus of two big wickets, that of both South African half-centurions.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz led Afghanistan’s charge with a six-laden 42-ball 84. With only two other batters barely managing to cross 20, a sparkling nine-ball cameo of 15* from Noor Ahmad kept Afghanistan’s hopes alive before an unfortunate last-over runout produced a thrilling deadlock between the two sides. For South Africa, senior paceman Lungi Ngidi came up clutch with his tight three-fer.

Azmatullah Omarzai turned up for Afghanistan in the resultant Super Over, and clubbed 16* off the 17 runs scored by them off Ngidi. South Africa lost Dewald Brevis early, but a three-ball 10* from Tristan Stubbs extended the match to another Super Over.

Stubbs carried that momentum and launched first ball for a huge six. David Miller dispatched two more in the next couple of deliveries off Azmatullah Omarzai as the Proteas mounted 23-0.

Keshav Maharaj got South Africa off to a dream start, with a dot ball upfront and a wicket off the next. 

Rahmanullah Gurbaz responded back by launching three huge sixes in succession, with an additional wide flickering the lights once again for Afghanistan. Gurbaz’s courageous hitting eventually went in vain as he picked out David Miller at point, with South Africa bagging the two points on offer by a whisker in the most incredible finish one can witness.

Three rounds, 1 narrow winner, but cricket the real victor

And just like that, after three exhilarating rounds of cricket, it all came down to a handful of “what ifs” and near-misses for Afghanistan that swung the day in South Africa’s favour.

In any case, Afghanistan pushed the runners-up of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup to the absolute brink, matching them punch for punch until the last ball of the final Super Over was bowled. Under Rashid Khan, Afghanistan put up a statement of how far they have truly come on the global stage.

On another day, with a touch more fortune in those decisive moments, this very performance had enough in it to catch any heavyweight off-guard and turn the result their way. Afterall, the Afghans made it among the top four sides of the previous showpiece event in mid-2024.

For South Africa, the match turned out to be a test of composure instead of what they might have perceived to be a regulatory Group D outing. With Afghanistan’s narrow slip-ups pulling South Africa out of jail, the competitive experience they garnered will only help them going forward in the tournament.

All in all, cricket emerged the true winner from a contest that had everything one could ask for, and perhaps a little more. In the years to come, the Afghanistan vs South Africa thriller from February 2026 might well be spoken of as the greatest T20 World Cup match ever played.

How does it fare with other World Cup classics

Few T20 World Cup encounters have truly stood the test of time, at least until the tournament’s 2026 chapter unfolded this month.

Some that instantly come to mind are the dual India-Pakistan blockbusters from 2007, one a historic Bowl Out and the other a nerve-racking final. 

Australia’s semifinal heist against Pakistan in 2010, Carlos Brathwaite’ six-hitting heroics in 2016 final, Virat Kohli’s special against Pakistan in 2022 and the high-scoring 2016 shootout between England and South Africa all make for some enduring chapters in the tournaments near two-decade long folklore.

Measured against such memorable encounters, the Afghanistan vs South Africa ICC T20 World Cup 2026 thriller rightfully holds its own place in the same elite bracket.