South Africa hammer hosts India in opening Super 8s game

Ahmedabad — South Africa stormed to the top of Super 8 Group 1 with a commanding 76-run victory over India, ending the hosts’ 12-match unbeaten run in T20 World Cup cricket and plunging the 2026 tournament favourites into sudden-death territory.

Sent in to bat after losing the toss, the Proteas wobbled at 20-3 inside four overs as Jasprit Bumrah scythed through the top order. The seamer’s double-wicket burst—an unplayable cutter that clipped Quinton de Kock’s middle stump and a cleverly disguised slower ball that lured Ryan Rickelton into a simple catch—moved him past every Indian bowler on the competition’s all-time wicket list and had the Narendra Modi Stadium roaring.

Yet the early damage was repaired in spectacular fashion by David Miller, whose 35-ball 63 dragged South Africa to 187-7. Miller found an able ally in Dewald Brevis (45 off 29), the pair adding 97 for the fourth wicket before both fell to lofted shots in the deep. Tristan Stubbs provided the late fireworks, smashing an unbeaten 44 off 24 and plundering 20 from the final over bowled by Hardik Pandya to lift the total beyond India’s reach.

The chase unravelled instantly. Marco Jansen removed Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma within the first seven legal deliveries, and when Abishek Sharma holed out for 15 the scoreboard read a wobbling 32-3. Washington Sundar and captain Suryakumar Yadav steadied briefly, but Corbin Bosch’s twin strike left India floundering at 51-5 midway through the tenth.

Keshav Maharaj applied the chokehold, claiming three wickets in the 15th over—Pandya, Rinku Singh and Arshdeep Singh all departing in quick succession. Shivam Dube’s defiant 42 off 37 merely delayed the inevitable; India were bowled out for 111 with more than three overs unused, their heaviest defeat in the competition since 2021.

The result leaves India needing victories over Zimbabwe and the West Indies—both live on Sky Sports—to keep their semi-final hopes alive, while South Africa march on with net-run-rate supremacy and a psychological edge earned in front of a stunned home crowd.

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