In a match already being hailed as the greatest in the history of the format, South Africa edged out Afghanistan in a historic Double Super Over thriller at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar led the global praise for the contest, which marked the first time a T20 World Cup match required two tie-breakers to find a winner.
Tendulkar’s Reaction: “Two Super Overs a Day…”
The Master Blaster, known for his witty takes on the game, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his awe:
“Two super overs a day keep the boredom away! A game that went right down to the wire. Congratulations to the South African team on the win. It takes composure to see the game through. This Afghanistan team has the potential to be really dangerous.”
The Anatomy of a Classic
The match was a statistical anomaly and a masterclass in high-pressure cricket:
- Regulation Tie: Both teams finished on 187 runs. Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the star of the chase with a blistering 84 off 42 balls.
- Super Over 1: Afghanistan set a target of 18. South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs hit a six off the final ball to level the scores again (17-17).
- Super Over 2: South Africa batted first and set a massive target of 24. Gurbaz nearly pulled off the impossible, hitting three consecutive sixes, but was caught at point on the final delivery with 5 runs needed to win.
Global Cricket Fraternity Reacts
Tendulkar wasn’t the only one left breathless by the encounter in Ahmedabad:
- Dale Steyn: The Proteas legend, who was in the commentary box, tweeted: “THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!!”
- Robin Uthappa: Described it as one of the “craziest games” ever, adding that it was “BLOODY BRILLIANT FOR CRICKET!!”
- Irfan Pathan: Expressed heartbreak for the Afghan side: “Ohhhhh Afghanistan… so near, yet still so far.”
- Tabraiz Shamsi: Noted that his heart rate was “sky high” for the final hour of the broadcast.