South Africa thrash India by 76 runs to open T20 World Cup Super 8s
South Africa have launched their T20 World Cup Super 8s campaign with a resounding 76-run victory over defending champions India in Ahmedabad.
The result serves as a statement of intent from the Proteas against the co-hosts, who had entered this stage of the tournament with a perfect winning record.
It was a fixture loaded with narrative, serving as a repeat of the 2024 final in Barbados where India edged a seven-run victory to lift the trophy.
However, the roles were reversed in emphatic fashion this time around as South Africa successfully defended a total of 187-7.
Miller and Brevis rescue tourists
After opting to bat first, the visitors found themselves in a perilous position early on.
Skipper Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, and Ryan Rickelton were all dismissed for single digits, leaving the score at a concerning 20-3 inside four overs.
The recovery was led by David Miller, who utilised his local knowledge of the conditions having previously represented the Gujarat Titans at this venue.
The experienced left-hander struck a fluid 65 from just 35 balls, finding the boundary with ease while Dewald Brevis played a supportive role.
Brevis eventually accelerated to contribute a 29-ball 45, helping to stabilise the innings before falling just short of his half-century.
By the time Miller departed in the 16th over, the partnership had lifted the side to a commanding position of 152-5.
Although India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh applied pressure with quality death bowling, Tristan Stubbs ensured a strong finish.
Stubbs smashed 20 runs off Hardik Pandya’s final over to finish unbeaten on 44, setting India a daunting target of 188.
India batting lineup collapses
The chase began disastrously for the Men in Blue.
Markram made an immediate impact with the ball, dismissing the dangerous Ishan Kishan for a duck in the opening over.
Marco Jansen compounded the hosts’ misery moments later by removing Tilak Varma, leaving the home crowd stunned.
Abhishek Sharma managed to break a streak of three consecutive ducks but could only contribute 15 runs before becoming another victim of Jansen’s pace.
The situation deteriorated rapidly when captain Suryakumar Yadav fell midway through the innings, leaving his side reeling at 51-5 after 10 overs.
Keshav Maharaj tore through the middle order, claiming three wickets in a single over to extinguish any lingering hopes of a comeback.
Jansen returned to clean up the tail, finishing with impressive figures of 4-22 as India were bowled out for a meager 111.
The defeat leaves India in a precarious position, requiring a victory against Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday to remain in contention.
South Africa will stay in Ahmedabad, looking to build on this momentum when they face former champions West Indies on Wednesday.