South Africa end India’s winning streak with dominant T20 World Cup victory
South Africa captain Aiden Markram celebrates after dismissing India’s Ishan Kishan during the Super Wicket Pool match at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. Photo: X
South Africa bulldozed defending champions India by 76 runs on Sunday in their Super Eight Group One clash in the Twenty20 World Cup, underlining their title credentials and sending a strong signal to their rivals.
Choosing to bat in a rematch of the 2024 World Cup final, South Africa surged to a commanding 187‑7 following a remarkable recovery from a precarious 20-3.
In reply, tournament co-hosts India's timid top-order faltered swiftly, and their innings never quite escaped the grip of scoreboard pressure. They were bundled out for 111 in 18.5 overs, slipping to their first defeat of the World Cup.
Into the death! ☠️#TheProteas look to tighten their grip on the game as we enter the final phase of play. 😤🇿🇦
India are 88/8 after 15 overs, needing 100 runs from the final 30 balls. 🏏#Unbreakable #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/LARA6JU9B2"We played against them a lot as well," David Miller, whose breezy 63 earned him player-of-the-match award, said of the Indian bowlers.
"So it was just matching the intensity, if not raising the intensity, against their bowlers, and putting them under the pump.
"They are good bowlers, but they do bowl bad balls. So it's making sure you're in that position to do that."
Earlier, India quickly took the sting out of South Africa's top-order following Aiden Markram's decision to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Moments after a standout #T20WorldCup performance from South Africa 👏
Broadcast details 👉 https://t.co/NPykWM7qqY pic.twitter.com/rWiD7Q1bS8Jasprit Bumrah bowled Quinton de Kock, while Arshdeep Singh had Markram snared at mid-off to leave South Africa without any of their openers inside three overs.
Bumrah's control (3‑15) shone again when he, with a deft change of pace, deceived Ryan Rickelton, who chipped tamely to Shivam Dube at mid‑off.
From there, a blistering 97‑run partnership between Miller and Dewald Brevis (45) not only halted the slide but also turned the heat back on India.
David Miller led the charge for South Africa with the bat to help them record a big win against India🙌
He wins the @aramco POTM🥇
📝: https://t.co/LiaV4FSoFf pic.twitter.com/UVHLP9VOOGBrevis missed a well‑deserved fifty but Miller powered to his in just 26 balls.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy removed Miller in the 16th over, but Tristan Stubbs provided the last flourish with an unbeaten 44 off 24 balls that included three sixes.
India's chase began in near‑identical fashion to South Africa's innings, but without the same rescue act.
With three left-handers in India's top three, off-spinner Markram began with the new ball and the ploy soon paid off.
Markram dismissed the in-form Ishan Kishan in the first over and Marco Jansen dismissed number three Tilak Varma in the second.
Statement win from South Africa 👊
The Proteas seal a crucial victory over co-hosts India in the #T20WorldCup Super 8 💥
📝: https://t.co/LiaV4FSoFf pic.twitter.com/IeHZ2gSRRsOpener Abhishek Sharma (15) avoided a fourth successive duck but neither he nor Washington Sundar (11) could provide the stability that India needed at that stage.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav (18) departed in the 10th over, leaving India reeling at 51-5 and the chase drifting further from reach with each passing delivery.
Keshav Maharaj then effectively extinguished India's fading hopes in one telling burst.
Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance puts him at the 🔝 for India in the Men's #T20WorldCup 🔥
Tournament broadcast details here 👉 https://t.co/NPykWM7qqY pic.twitter.com/bJ2uz072ydThe left‑arm spinner dismissed Hardik Pandya (18), Rinku Singh and Arshdeep Singh in the eventful 15th over, breaking the back of the lower middle order and clearing the path for South Africa's victory.
Dube's gallant 42 merely lent some respectability to India's margin of defeat.
Marco Jansen dismissed Dube and Bumrah with successive deliveries to finish with figures of 4-22.