South Africa stunned India by 76 runs in their T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights clash in Ahmedabad. The loss ended India’s 17-match winning streak in ICC white-ball events and put their semi-final hopes in danger.
Chasing 187, India were bowled out for just 111. The top order failed badly, and the chase never really took off on a slow, cracked black-soil pitch.
Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma all fell early. Marco Jansen struck hard with the new ball, while Aiden Markram and Nandre Bosch kept the pressure on.
India were already in deep trouble when Keshav Maharaj delivered the final blow. His triple strike in the 16th over shut the door completely and silenced the Ahmedabad crowd.
Earlier in the evening, it had looked like India were on top. Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh reduced South Africa to 20 for 3 with sharp early spells.
But David Miller and Dewald Brevis changed the game. The pair added 97 runs for the fourth wicket and steadied the innings with smart batting against spin and pace.
Miller led from the front with a calm 63. He picked his moments and punished loose balls, especially when the spinners missed their lengths.
Tristan Stubbs then gave the innings a late push. He smashed 44 not out and took on Hardik Pandya in the final overs, lifting South Africa to a strong 187 for 7.
Bumrah was outstanding yet again, finishing with 3 for 15 in his four overs. Varun Chakaravarthy also picked up a late wicket, but India leaked runs at key moments.
The defeat has made the road to the semi-finals tougher. India now need must-win results in their remaining Super Eights matches in Chennai and Kolkata, and their net run rate has taken a big hit.
This was India’s first loss in an ICC white-ball event in 826 days. It also came at the same Ahmedabad ground where they had earlier posted 231 and where they lost the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
The venue seems to haunt them again. More importantly, the match exposed India’s struggles while chasing on slow pitches.
India vs South Africa T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 Match Brief Score
| South Africa | 187/7 (20 Overs) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| David Miller | 63 (35) | Jasprit Bumrah | 3/15 (4) |
| Dewald Brevis | 45 (29) | Arshdeep Singh | 2/28 (4) |
| Tristan Stubbs* | 44 (24) | Shivam Dube | 1/32 (2) |
| India | 111 (18.5 Overs) | ||
| Shivam Dube | 42 (37) | Maco Jansen | 4/22 (3.5) |
| Hardik Pandya | 18 (17) | Keshav Maharaj | 3/24 (3) |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 18 (22) | Corbin Bosch | 2/12 (3) |