In the high-stakes Super 8 encounter at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on February 22, 2026, India faced South Africa in a rematch echoing the 2024
final drama.
South Africa, led by Aiden Markram, won the toss and elected to bat first on a batter-friendly pitch. And chasing 188 runs, India are in deep trouble.
Abhishek Sharma starts well but fails to make an Impact
Ishan Kishan was dismissed for a duck in the first over off Aiden Markram's bowling in the run chase. Abhishek Sharma started smashing a boundary off the first ball he faced from Aiden Markram, signalling intent after his tournament ducks. However, the left-hander struggled to build momentum. He managed 15 off 12 balls, mixing aggressive swings with mistimed shots, before holing out to Marco Jansen in the deep, caught at midwicket.
With another low score, Abhishek continues to struggle in this World Cup. He got his first runs of the T20 World Cup after three consecutive ducks.
An ๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐ sigh of relief ๐ฎโ๐จ
- Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 22, 2026
That boundary felt like a monumental weight off a billion shoulders ๐
ICC Men's #T20WorldCup | SUPER 8 | #INDvSA | LIVE NOW ๐https://t.co/dZWPZfqfbO pic.twitter.com/d9onYaFDrQ
Ishan Kishan fell for a duck in the first over, and Tilak Varma departed soon after, leaving India reeling at 26/3. Suryakumar Yadav (captain) and Washington Sundar are at the crease, but the required rate has soared past 11, putting immense pressure on the middle order.
The Proteas endured a nightmare powerplay, collapsing to 20/3 as Jasprit Bumrah (3/15 in 4 overs) and Arshdeep Singh (2/28) dismantled the top order, dismissing Quinton de Kock, Markram, and Ryan Rickelton cheaply. A gritty 97-run partnership between Dewald Brevis (45 off 29) and David Miller (63 off 35, including 7 fours and 3 sixes) revived the innings. Tristan Stubbs provided a late blitz, remaining unbeaten on 44 off 24 balls, capitalizing on Hardik Pandya's expensive final over (20 runs conceded). South Africa posted a competitive 187/7 in 20 overs.
