In an unexpected twist at the Narendra Modi Stadium during the T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa triumphed over Afghanistan in a thrilling double Super Over match on February 11, 2026. Both teams ended their 20 overs tied at 187, and even the first Super Over ended in a draw with each team scoring 17 runs.
While many thought that a top fast bowler like Kagiso Rabada would bowl the final six balls of the second tie-breaker, a spinner was chosen instead. This surprising tactic led to a nail-biting finish and secured South Africa’s second tournament victory, culminating in a tense final delivery.
Ryan Rickelton reveals coach’s choice for Keshav Maharaj in the Super Over
After the match, South African player Ryan Rickelton clarified that the choice to use a spinner in the second Super Over was made by head coach Shukri Conrad, not captain Aiden Markram. Rickelton mentioned that the players were taken aback by this decision, particularly after Lungi Ngidi gave up 17 runs in the first Super Over and Rabada faced difficulties in the last over of the regular match.
Rickelton stated, “I actually was unsure why Keshav was selected. I thought KG or Marco was going to bowl, but it came from Shukri, who believed Kesh should go. Credit to him for that.” The strategy was designed to exploit the long boundaries of the ground and have Maharaj bowl slower deliveries to challenge the Afghan batters. Despite the risk, the coach’s straightforward approach proved to be crucial.
Maharaj holds off Rahmanullah Gurbaz to clinch dramatic T20 World Cup 2026 win
The success of Conrad’s plan rested on Maharaj, who was tasked with defending a total of 23 runs in the second Super Over. He started strong with a dot ball and then took the wicket of Mohammad Nabi, leaving Afghanistan needing 24 runs from the last four balls. Just when it seemed secure, Rahmanullah Gurbaz launched an aggressive counter, hitting three sixes in a row, bringing the chase down to six runs off the final ball. Maharaj’s challenge increased when he bowled a wide, making it five runs needed for Afghanistan to win.
Rickelton described the strategy for the last delivery: “We aimed to bowl slow and wide to encourage them to hit over extra cover for six toward the big boundary… fortunately for us, Gurbaz was caught by David Miller at cover.” By forcing Gurbaz to mis-hit the last ball, Maharaj justified Conrad’s bold decision and capped what many consider the greatest T20 World Cup match ever.
