HIGHLIGHTS South Africa vs Afghanistan, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, 13 T20- Result, Scorecard

Welcome back for the Afghan's reply. The Proteas are in the huddle. Aiden Markram is seen giving a pep-talk to his fellow players. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are the openers for Afghanistan. Lungi Ngidi to bowl first...

...The Run Chase...

The chase is coming up - Despite the pre-match chatter suggesting that spin would dictate the narrative on this surface, Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton effectively neutralised Afghanistan’s primary weapon. Their century stand was the backbone of the Proteas’ innings, yet Afghanistan walks off the field with the psychological edge after pulling things back a bit. With South Africa expected to mirror their opponents by deploying early spin and a heavy dose of pace variations, the chase will demand both tactical discipline and a quick adaptation to the changing conditions as the sun keeps beating down on the deck. Stay tuned for the chase.

A quick word with the Proteas' number 3 - Ryan Rickelton is up for chat. He says that he enjoyed batting with QDK. He reckons that the start was a bit tough, but they adapted well to form a strong partnership. Also adds that the plan was to absorb the pressure and put it back onto the opposition. On the pitch conditions, he says that it's different from their last game. Ended up saying there is no dew factor in this venue, and the bowlers are ready for the defense.

Master-apprentice partnership - The innings was defined by a blistering 114-run partnership between Quinton de Kock (59 off 41) and Ryan Rickelton (61 off 28), which threatened to take the game away early. However, Rashid Khan’s brilliance in the 13th over, removing both set batters in the space of three balls, sparked an Afghan resurgence that significantly slowed the scoring rate.

A little cameo - Marco Jansen and David Miller unleash a late-inning blitz, plundering 28 runs off the final 12 deliveries to propel South Africa close to the 200-run milestone. While the Proteas might have fallen slightly short of the massive target they initially envisioned, this late surge ensured they reached a competitive total.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Marco Jansen, OUT! TAKEN! A wicket to end proceedings in the first innings. Another off-paced delivery from Azmatullah Omarzai, bowled into the surface and there's that tennis-ball-like bounce on display again. Marco Jansen fetches to pull but gets a top edge over mid on. Sediqullah Atal comes in from the deep and slides in to take a solid catch. Jansen's cameo of 16 (7) comes to an end and South Africa finish with 187/6 on the board.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Marco Jansen, Change-up from Azmat. Slower one into the deck, angled into the batter. Jansen looks to pull but misses.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Marco Jansen, FOUR! CRUNCHED! Full and outside off, Omarzai misses his mark with the yorker. Jansen stays deep in the crease and pummels it wide of long off for a boundary.

Azmatullah Omarzai to David Miller, Banged in short over off, a bit slower too. Miller rocks back and pulls it down to deep mid-wicket for just a single.

Azmatullah Omarzai to David Miller, SIX! Into the crowd. Overpitched from Azmat, well outside off. David Miller extends the arms and just caresses the lofted shot over long off for a maximum.

Azmatullah Omarzai to David Miller, Slower one, bowled full and outside off. The ball grips and nips away a bit. Miller has a wild swing across the line but misses.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Marco Jansen, A good yorker to end the 19th over but 17 runs still come off it. Full and angled in a bit from outside off, lands on the popping crease. Jansen jams it out to extra cover.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Marco Jansen, SIX! Marco Jansen is on the charge! Slower ball, on the shorter side and outside off. Sits up for the tall Jansen and he just waits back before swatting it back over the bowler's head for a biggie. 17 off it already.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Marco Jansen, Even fuller and outside off, squeezed away to the left of sweeper cover this time for a couple of runs more.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Marco Jansen, FOUR! Oh, that should have been stopped. Farooqi comes around the wicket to Jansen and angles in a full ball from outside off. MJ gets low and strokes it on the up, wide of Ibrahim Zadran at sweeper cover and he is unable to make up the ground to his right.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to David Miller, Gets the yorker spot-on this time, does Farooqi. Full and straight, tailing in a bit. Miller digs it out in front of square leg and picks up a single.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to David Miller, FOUR! The bowler misses his mark but Miller doesn't. A juicy full toss on middle, Miller heaves it away towards cow corner and the ball races away to the fence.

South Africa have lost the plot after that heavy partnership between Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock. Credit to Afghanistan for pulling things back. Marco Jansen is the new batter in, replacing Tristan Stubbs.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Tristan Stubbs, OUT! CAUGHT! A quick in and out for Tristan Stubbs and Azmatullah Omarzai ends the over with his second wicket. Back to over the wicket for the right-hander, pitched up fuller and on off. Stubbs lunges across and tries to lap it away but ends up angling it towards short fine leg. Mujeeb Ur Rahman clings on to a low catch down to his left and Stubbs has to walk back after making just 1 (2).

Azmatullah Omarzai to David Miller, BYE! Slower one into the pitch, this is bowled from around the wicket. Miller looks to pull and misses. The keeper gets a bad bounce and the ball deflects off his pads to short third. The batters get a bye.

Azmatullah Omarzai to David Miller, Pitched up fuller and angled well across the left-hander, Miller reaches out and hammers it to the left of sweeper cover for a couple of runs.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Tristan Stubbs, Good length on top of off, punched down to mid off for a single.

Out goes Dewald Brevis, in comes Tristan Stubbs.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Dewald Brevis, OUT! CAUGHT! A soft dismissal and Afghanistan get another timely wicket. Azmatullah Omarzai switches to pace off and bowls another short ball, wide outside off. Instead of going for the cut, Dewald Brevis tries to fetch the ball and pull it across. Brevis ends up toe-ending it flat towards mid off, where Mohammad Nabi takes a simple catch. Brevis departs for 23 (19) and SA are now 155/4.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Dewald Brevis, Short ball, hammered into the pitch and outside off. Brevis stays back and swats it across between long on and deep mid-wicket for a couple of handy runs.

Pace from both ends? Yes, Azmatullah Omarzai (2-0-25-0) is back on.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dewald Brevis, Back of a length and outside off, punched away square through the off side for a single.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dewald Brevis, SIX! That's flown away, slightly unlucky for the bowler. Another skiddy bumper, this time over middle and leg. Dewald Brevis looks to pull off the back foot but gets a top edge that flies over short fine and goes all the way. The 150 is now up for South Africa.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to David Miller, Takes pace off now and bowls it a tad shorter, Miller stays low and pulls it to deep square leg for one more.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dewald Brevis, Back of a length and around off, Brevis hops up and forces the punch to sweeper cover for a single.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dewald Brevis, Oh, that's well bowled! A skiddy bumper, lands it on off and gets it to angle away with extra bounce. Brevis takes a step to the off side but lets it go in hope of a wide. Fair delivery.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to David Miller, Slower one, into the pitch and over middle, Miller gets on his toes and swipes it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Bowling change. Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-0-5-1) replaces Rashid Khan.

Noor Ahmad to David Miller, Full, around off, David Miller pushes it to long on for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Dewald Brevis, A touch shorter, on middle, Dewald Brevis taps it to backward point for a single.

Noor Ahmad to David Miller, Short, angling in, around the pads. David Miller tucks it through square leg for one.

Noor Ahmad to Dewald Brevis, Short, and outside off, Dewald Brevis punches it from his back foot to cover for one.

Noor Ahmad to Dewald Brevis, FOUR! Thumped away! Googly and much fuller, on leg. Dewald Brevis makes room and drills it through the line toward the right of the long off region for four runs.

Noor Ahmad to Dewald Brevis, Short, on middle and off, Dewald Brevis eases it back to the bowler.

Rashid Khan to Dewald Brevis, Full, on middle, Dewald Brevis stays on his back foot and pushes it to long on for one. Rashid Khan finishes off with 4-0-28-2.

Rashid Khan to Dewald Brevis, Short and wide outside off, Dewald Brevis camps back and looks to spank it away, but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Rashid Khan to Dewald Brevis, Googly again, angling in, a touch fuller, down the leg side. Dewald Brevis make room and punches it to toward wide sweeper cover for a couple of runs.

Rashid Khan to Dewald Brevis, Googly, short and outside off, Dewald Brevis slaps it to cover.

Rashid Khan to Dewald Brevis, Short, on off, Dewald Brevis stabs it to cover-point.

Rashid Khan to David Miller, Fuller, just outside off, David Miller prods and drives it from the outer part of his bat to the left of point for a single.

DRINKS BREAK! This match is just starting to heat up now. After a brilliant second-wicket stand worth 114 runs, Afghanistan have now got a new life thanks to their talismanic skipper. His double-wicket over, sending back both set batters, has levelled the playing field a bit. South Africa still have plenty of firepower in the shed and it will be interesting to see how things pan out from here.

Noor Ahmad to David Miller, Fuller, on middle, David Miller gets to his front foot and drives it to long on for a comfortable single.

Noor Ahmad to David Miller, Full, wide outside off, David Miller drives it to cover.

Noor Ahmad to David Miller, Short, just outside off, David Miller pushes it back to the bowler.

Noor Ahmad to Dewald Brevis, Tossed up, around off, googly, Dewald Brevis opens the face of his bat and eases it toward right of short third to get a quick single.

Noor Ahmad to Dewald Brevis, Short, around middle and leg, Dewald Brevis pushes it back to the bowler.

Noor Ahmad to Dewald Brevis, Much fuller, wide outside off, Dewald Brevis drills it through cover, toward wide of the sweeper cover fielder for a couple of runs.

The next batter is David Miller.

Rashid Khan to Ryan Rickelton, OUT! LBW! Oh, that looks absolutely plumb. Ryan Rickelton has taken the review. Was the impact outside the line? No, it's THREE REDS on the Ball Tracking. The Afghan skipper has both the set batters in his pocket. Rashid Khan serves a flatter trajectory delivery from around the wicket, around off, it lands and turns in sharply, pegging Ryan Rickelton on the back foot as he tries to work it away. Ryan misses and wears it on the pads. Right in front. Rickelton goes and takes a review with him.

Rashid Khan to Dewald Brevis, Hesitation between the sticks but the fielding is not at par. Length delivery, outside off, Dewald Brevis chops it to the right of point. A miscommunication between the batters but a misfield in the field allows them to sneak in a run. Rashid Khan shows his disappointment.

End of a 114-run stand between Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton. In comes Dewald Brevis, at number 4.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, OUT! TAKEN! Rashid Khan brings himself into the attack and gets a big, big wicket. This is a tad shorter, on off, Quinton de Kock crouches down on one knee and sweeps it uppishly towards the deep mid-wicket region. Ibrahim Zadran runs forward and pouches the catch safely into his hands. Quinton de Kock departs but he has done his job, scoring 59 off 41 balls.

Rashid Khan to Ryan Rickelton, Full, on off, Ryan Rickelton nudges it across the line to mid-wicket and gets a single.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, Short, on middle and off. Quinton de Kock works it to mid-wicket for a single.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, Short, on leg, Quinton de Kock misses his flick and gets a bit of an inside edge to onto his front pad.

Rashid Khan is back into the attack. Two overs for 21 for him, so far. This could be a crucial over.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Quinton de Kock, Back of a length, in the channel, outside off, de Kock cuts it through point and retains the strike. 13 runs off the over. South Africa are unstoppable right now.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Ryan Rickelton, Fractionally full and outside off, stroked past cover for a single.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Ryan Rickelton, SIX! Ryan Rickelton moves ahead of Quinton de Kock! He moves to 59. Azmatullah Omarzai errs in line and drifts it onto the pads. Ryan Rickelton wrists it aerially and over square leg for a biggie.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Ryan Rickelton, Bangs it into the surface, wide outside off. Ryan Rickelton gets on top of the bounce and pats it wide of deep point for a brace.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Quinton de Kock, Extra pace and bounce from Omarzai! Shorter and outside off, punched through point for a single.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Quinton de Kock, Excellent running! These two have added 100 runs together now! Who said they can't play together? Back of a length, outside off, Quinton de Kock hops and punches it square on the off side for a couple of runs. QDK makes his end with a dive.

Pace is brought back into the attack. Azmatullah Omarzai comes in to replace Noor Ahmad. Azmat went for 12 runs in his first over.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Ryan Rickelton, SIX! The apprentice follows the master's every step. Fifty for Ryan Rickelton now. Straighter delivery, looped up on off. Ryan Rickelton slog-sweeps, high and long enough over the long on fence for a biggie.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Flighted full and on middle, nudged to mid-wicket for a single.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! Fifty for Quinton de Kock. Fifth in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. A half-tracker, around off. Quinton de Kock rocks back and pulls with the turn, over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Mujeeb pushes it full and around off, close to the stumps and Quinton de Kock fends it on the leg side.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Ryan Rickelton, Slower in the air, flighted full and on off, RR drills it to long on for a single. 100 up for South Africa.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Mujeeb Ur Rahman serves it too full and on middle, it is turned to deep mid-wicket for a single by QDK.

Halfway through the first innings. South Africa got only 43 runs in the Powerplay, and in the next 4 overs that followed, they have picked up 55 runs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-0-17-0) is back on.

Noor Ahmad to Ryan Rickelton, That was a close second run! Even QDK knows it. Tossed up, fuller and around off, Ryan Rickelton nudges it with soft hands in front of square on the leg side and calls for two. A risky second and Quinton de Kock pushes for it. The fielder has a long range shy but misses at the bowler's end. 23 runs off Ahmad's first over.

Noor Ahmad to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! Runs are flowing! Noor Ahmad doesn't correct his line, keeps bowling too full and too wide. Ryan Rickelton crunches it past the cover fielder for yet another boundary.

Noor Ahmad to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! 17 already off the over! Overpitched and wide outside off, asking to be hit. Bread and butter for any left-hander. RR leans and firmly drives it through covers for a boundary.

Noor Ahmad to Ryan Rickelton, SIX! South Africa are rocking at Ahmedabad! Ahmad pushes the fuller delivery, wide outside off, Ryan Rickelton plants his front foot across, drags his slog-sweep over cow corner for half a dozen.

Noor Ahmad to Quinton de Kock, Drifts it fuller and on the pads, it's flicked to deep square leg for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Quinton de Kock, SIX! QDK welcomes Noor Ahmad to Ahmedabad with a massive biggie. Floats it on the up and errs a bit by bowling on leg, Quinton de Kock bends slightly and hammers it over long on for a six.

Mohammad Nabi to continue? No. Rashid brings in Noor Ahmad from the other end.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, Quicker through the air, on leg stump, QDK presses back and works it wide of mid-wicket for a single. 11 runs off the over and South Africa are now motoring along.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, Slightly more flighted, fuller and outside off, de Kock drives it to cover.

Rashid Khan to Ryan Rickelton, Very short and at the batter, Rickelton swivels in his crease and pulls it firmly to deep backward square leg for a single.

Rashid Khan to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! Up and over! Flat and full, around off and middle, Rickelton sits down and forces the reverse sweep over backward point and after hitting the turf, the ball rolls away to the fence.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, Flatter one on the pads, nudged away down to deep square leg for a single.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! Uh, oh! Sediqullah Atal is completely undone by the spin. Tossed up on leg, Quinton de Kock clears the front leg and lifts it straight down the ground. The fielder at long on moves to his right but overruns the ball and concedes a boundary.

Mohammad Nabi to Quinton de Kock, Tap and run! Slower one, shorter and on off. QDK walks out of his crease and nudges it in front of covers for an easy single.

Mohammad Nabi to Ryan Rickelton, Shorter length outside off, cut away off the back foot and behind point for one.

Mohammad Nabi to Ryan Rickelton, Flatter delivery around off, slides right on and Rickelton punches it to covers.

Mohammad Nabi to Ryan Rickelton, SIX! That's brilliantly struck and up comes the 50-run stand between these two. Fuller and at the stumps, Rickelton goes down on one knee and wallops it over cow corner for a biggie.

Mohammad Nabi to Ryan Rickelton, Gets away with it, does Rickelton. Fuller on middle and leg, Ryan Rickelton sits down to sweep but miscues it off the top edge. The ball lands behind the keeper and spins fine off the short fine leg fielder as the batters complete two runs.

Mohammad Nabi to Quinton de Kock, On a dragged length, drifted into the batter, de Kock hops back and nudges it past square leg for a single.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, Shorter in length and outside off, cut away off the back foot to sweeper cover for a single.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, WIDE! A leg-break now, on a good length on leg, spins in and goes past the pads. Rahmanullah Gurbaz pouches and appeals, probably to put the umpire away from giving the wide call.

Rashid Khan to Ryan Rickelton, Dragged a bit shorter and on leg stump, Rickelton presses back and dabs it past mid-wicket for another single.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, Flatter one on the pads, worked away past square leg for one. The 50 is now up for South Africa.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, SIX! That's a mighty blow from QDK! Tossed up fuller and around middle, Quinton de Kock is early to back away and he launches the ball over long off for a biggie.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, Fuller in length, on leg, de Kock looks to work it leg side but nearly chips it back to the bowler.

Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, Rashid starts with a straighter one on middle, de Kock leans on and plays it back to the bowler.

DRINKS BREAK! Time for a break and so far, it has been a fairly even start for both sides. Afghanistan have picked up a big wicket early on, whereas South Africa are now starting to find their feet in the contest. Both Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton have gotten off to decent starts but the next phase will be crucial. Afghanistan will hope that the duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad weave their magic in the middle phase, as the Proteas will now look to consolidate. With that said, Rashid Khan brings himself into the attack.

Mohammad Nabi to Quinton de Kock, Short, on off and middle, Quinton de Kock pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single. 9 runs coming off from Nabi's first over!

Mohammad Nabi to Ryan Rickelton, Quicker and fuller, on off, Ryan Rickelton drives it gently to long off for a single.

Mohammad Nabi to Quinton de Kock, Short, on off, Quinton de Kock pushes it to cover for a single.

Mohammad Nabi to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! That has been nicely played! Quinton de Kock is looking so confident with his shots. This is short and outside off, Quinton de Kock makes room by moving toward the leg side and expands his arms to cut it late and into the gap between backward point and point for four runs.

Mohammad Nabi to Ryan Rickelton, Short, on off, angling in, Ryan Rickelton tucks it with soft hands to short mid-wicket for a single.

Mohammad Nabi to Quinton de Kock, Quick running between the wickets! Full, on off and middle, Quinton de Kock nudges it to the front of mid on fielder and sprints to get a quick run.

Double change? Yes! Mohammad Nabi to bowl the final over of the Powerplay, replacing Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Also, this is Nabi's 150th T20I game.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Ryan Rickelton, A bit of misfield! On a hard length, away from the off pole. Ryan Rickelton opens the face of the bat and guides it toward the right of the backward point fielder, but he fumbles to field it and the batter gets the window to take two runs.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Quinton de Kock, Slower and on a length, outside off, Quinton de Kock steers it wide of deep third for a single.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Ryan Rickelton, On a length, angling in around the pads, Ryan Rickelton flicks it to wide of mid-wicket for a single.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! Great shot from Rickelton! Back of a length, outside off, Ryan Rickelton gets on his back foot and pulls it across the line, wide of the short mid-wicket fielder for four more runs.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Ryan Rickelton, Short, on off, Ryan Rickelton dabs it to cover.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! Up and over! Azmatullah Omarzai scoots from around the wicket and starts off with a fuller one, on the fifth stump line. Ryan Rickelton lunges toward the delivery and uses his bottom hand to punch it over the leaping short cover fielder for the boundary.

Will Fazalhaq Farooqi get a third over? No, instead, we will see the first bowling change. Azmatullah Omarzai comes into the attack now.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Fullish length on middle, angled in, De Kock pats it down the deck.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! More runs for the Proteas! Rahman drags his length back, Quinton de Kock hangs deep into the crease, crouches a bit low and cuts it into the gap between cover and point for four runs.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, SIX! BANG! The fireworks have started. Pitches it up, does Rahman, on off, angling in. Quinton de Kock clears his front foot and swings his arms to slog it up and over the deep mid-wicket fence for half a dozen.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Fuller, on off, Quinton de Kock nudges it once again to short mid-wicket.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Fuller now, on middle, angling in, Quinton de Kock works it to short mid-wicket.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Short and outside off. Quinton de Kock expands his front foot and slaps late at it, but finds the fielder in the backward point region.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Ryan Rickelton, This is really good bowling from Fazalhaq Farooqi. Just 5 runs and a wicket off his two overs. Serves it full and offers some width. Ryan Rickelton drives well but straight to short cover.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Ryan Rickelton, Short of a good length, outside off, this is punched to cover.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Ryan Rickelton, Welcomes Ryan with a top nut! Presents the seam towards third man, this is slightly fuller and around the sixth stump line. Ryan Rickelton half-presses across to hit it away but gets beaten.

The Proteas skipper departs. Ryan Rickelton joins Quinton de Kock.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Aiden Markram, OUT! TAKEN! Fazalhaq Farooqi draws first blood. A nice deceptive slower delivery from Fazalhaq, pitches it in the slot. Aiden Markram is a bit early as he tries to launch this away but miscues it high and to mid off where Mohammad Nabi takes a couple of steps back and pouches it. An early breakthrough for Afghanistan and South Africa lose their captain with just 12 runs on the board.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Quinton de Kock, Gets closer to the off pole, fractionally short. Quinton de Kock hops to push it away but gets a thick inside edge, past the stumps and in front of short fine leg for a single.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Quinton de Kock, Fazalhaq Farooqi tries to shape it away from the batter but the ball lands and nips in, outside off and on a length. Quinton de Kock tries to punch it away without much foot movement and gets beaten.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Floats it up, tad fuller and sliding away a touch. Quinton de Kock bends across and knocks it to long off and keeps the strike.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Aiden Markram, Mujeeb Ur Rahman targets the stumps, tosses it up. Aiden Markram drills it to long on for a single.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, A bit too full and around off, flatter trajectory. This is punched to cover for a single.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Was that a chance? The wide is not given! Drifts it into the batter, turning in as well. Quinton de Kock leans to defend it but gets a faint inside edge to the keeper, who fumbles to collect it.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! Quinton de Kock is up and running! Pitches it up and gets it to swing away but gives a lot of room outside off. Quinton de Kock is quick to get on his knee, firmly hits it over extra cover for a boundary.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Quinton de Kock, Tosses it up from around the wicket to the left-hander, around off and turning away. QDK taps it to cover.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman will share the new ball with Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Aiden Markram, FOUR! South Africa are underway! Beautiful shot from Markram! Fazalhaq Farooqi overpitches it, well outside off, Aiden leans and crunches it through covers. A fast outfield and the ball races away to the fence.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Aiden Markram, Nicely bowled! Takes the ball away from the batter once again. Bowls it touch shorter and around off, lot of movement on this one. Aiden Markram has a poke at it but misses. A muted appeal from the keeper but just got carried away there.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Aiden Markram, Outswinger, pitches it on leg, Aiden Markram is pegged back as he keeps it out on the leg side.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Aiden Markram, Touch fuller, around off, no movement on this one. Aiden Markram taps with soft hands back to the bowler.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Aiden Markram, Overpitched, across the batter and tempts Aiden to go for the big drive but the ball swings in late and takes the inside edge. It rolls off the pads on the off side.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Aiden Markram, Bang on the money! A good length delivery, around off with a little bit of inward shape. Aiden Markram defends it back to Fazalhaq Farooqi.

All in readiness now for the game to begin. The umpires are out in the middle and so are the players of Afghanistan. The duo of Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock is all set to open the innings for South Africa. Fazalhaq Farooqi has the new ball in hand and he is raring to go. Just one slip in place, let's go...

Time for the anthems - The match officials make their way out to the middle, followed by the two sets of players and their mascots. The players of South Africa and Afghanistan line up for their respective national anthems. It will be the anthem of Afghanistan first, followed by that of South Africa.

Afghanistan (Playing XI) - Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (C), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad (In for Ziaur Rahman), and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

South Africa (Playing XI) - Aiden Markram (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde (In for Corbin Bosch), Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, and Lungi Ngidi.

The captain of South Africa - Aiden Markram says they would have bowled first as well. Feels there will be some moisture in the field but happy to bat and are looking forward to putting a good total on the board. Acknowledges the form of every player in the previous game but Aiden wants to keep raising the bar. Informs that George Linde comes in as the extra spinner on this pitch, in place of Corbin Bosch.

The skipper of Afghanistan - Rashid Khan says that it's a good wicket to bowl first and they will prefer to chase. Continues that after the loss against the Kiwis, he and his team are ready to fetch the win as it's a must win game for them. They are not thinking much about the result and they will play with positive energy.

TOSS - It's toss time in Ahmedabad. Aiden Markram and Rashid Khan are out in the middle. Rashid calls 'Heads' correctly. Afghanistan will BOWL first.

Pitch report - Raunak Kapoor and former Protea spearhead Dale Steyn are pitchside. Raunak starts by mentioning that there is a bias in terms of the square boundaries. On one side, it is 74 meters and on the other, it is 64 meters, while the straight hit is 72 meters. Adds that it is a fresh surface, Pitch number 7 to be exact and it looks green. Steyn chimes in and says that there are a couple of dry patches but the grass will hold the pitch nicely and there might be some seam and bounce. Stay tuned for toss and updates.

The Afghans are seeking their first win - Afghanistan enters this match looking to rebound after a challenging start, having lost their tournament opener to New Zealand by five wickets. Despite the loss, their batting unit showed resilience by posting a competitive 182, losing six wickets, anchored by a fiery 63 off 35 balls from Gulbadin Naib. The Afghan team will rely heavily on the leadership and experience of Rashid Khan, whose familiarity with the Ahmedabad venue from the IPL is expected to be a tactical advantage. Mujeeb Ur Rahman has also shown good early form with the ball, picking up 2/31 against the Kiwis, and will be a key figure in their spin-heavy attack alongside Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi.

The Proteas are on a mission - South Africa has made a dominant start to the tournament, currently sitting second in Group D after a convincing 57-run victory over Canada in their opening match. The Proteas posted a formidable total, showcasing their batting depth and aggressive intent. Skipper Aiden Markram has been the standout performer, leading from the front with a brisk 59 off 32 balls. He has been well-supported by David Miller, who remains a reliable finisher with an unbeaten 39 in the opener, and Tristan Stubbs, who contributed a quick 34. On the bowling front, Lungi Ngidi was exceptional against Canada, claiming 4 wickets for 31 runs to dismantle their middle order.

Greetings folks! Hello, and a very warm welcome to match number 13 of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, featuring a high-stakes Group D encounter between South Africa and Afghanistan, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India. This fixture is a critical battle as both teams eye a top-two finish to secure a spot in the Super Eight stage. 

... MATCHDAY ...

Remember the 2024 T20 WC semi-finals? Let's give you a small recap. Afghanistan were bowled out for a mere 56, and South Africa chased that down inside nine overs. Now, in 2026, they meet again. South Africa wants to prove they are still the boss, while Afghanistan is hungry to show they have grown and learned from that painful night. South Africa’s batting is dangerous - South Africa arrives in Ahmedabad with the engine already humming. Their emphatic 57-run victory over Canada in the group opener served as a perfect warm-up, shaking off any tournament rust. They have power hitters from the top of the order all the way to the end. Quinton de Kock is back to his best, hitting the ball cleanly and scoring fast runs. Aiden Markram is leading the team well and scoring runs too. When you add the power of Brevis, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs in the final overs, it becomes very hard for any bowler to stop them. Their bowlers are also doing a great job. Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen are bowling fast, while Lungi Ngidi was the player of the match against Canada in the previous game with a four-wicket haul. They look like a complete team that is ready to win the trophy. Afghanistan’s search for momentum - Afghanistan comes into this game after a stinging loss to New Zealand. Placed in one of the toughest groups in this World Cup, Afghanistan cannot afford another defeat, as that can virtually slash their chances in half for the Super 8s. And with them rostered against two back-to-back strong teams, the margin of error has literally zeroed down. Their bowling is their superpower. Rashid Khan is fit and bowling magic balls that batters can't read. He has help from other spinners like Mujeeb Ur Rahman. If the pitch in Ahmedabad helps the spinners even a little bit, Afghanistan can cause big trouble for the South African batters. They are not the same team that collapsed two years ago, they are smarter and tougher now. Team Form (Last 5 T20Is, latest result first) - South Africa - WLLWL | Afghanistan - LLWWW. What to expect? The narrative of 'pace vs spin' is too simplistic for the two sides this evolved. The battle will likely be won in the Powerplay. If Afghanistan’s openers can withstand the new-ball burst from Jansen, Ngidi and Rabada, unlike in their last World Cup meeting, they have their spin to strangle South Africa in the middle overs. However, South Africa currently possesses a batting lineup that is packed with players in peak franchise form. Expect Afghanistan to come hard, driven by the memory of 56 all out, but they face a Proteas unit that looks composed and hungry to upgrade their status from runners-up to champions. It won’t be an easy game for South Africa this time, though. Afghanistan is ready to fight, and they want to rewrite history. Expect a close and exciting contest.