Super 8 Major Upset: South Africa crush defending champions India by 76 runs
By Nawaz Gohar ; In a stunning display of all-round cricket during the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, South Africa pulled off a massive upset by defeating the defending champions, India, by 76 runs.
Chasing a target of 188, the Indian batting lineup collapsed like a house of cards, bundled out for a mere 111 runs. Surprisingly, the Indian team could not even last their allotted overs, with six batsmen failing to reach double figures.
For India, Shivam Dube was the top scorer with 42 runs, but his efforts were not enough to avert disaster. Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav managed 18 runs each, while Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh were dismissed for ducks. Tilak Varma could only contribute a single run.
South Africa’s Marco Jansen led the demolition with a devastating spell, claiming 4 wickets, while Keshav Maharaj sent 3 batsmen back to the pavilion.
Earlier, batting first, South Africa posted 187 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. David Miller top-scored with a solid 63, supported by crucial knocks from Dewald Brevis (45) and Tristan Stubbs (44).
On the bowling front for India, Jasprit Bumrah stood out with a brilliant spell of 3 for 15, but he received little support from the other bowlers.
Notably, India entered this match on the back of a 12-match winning streak in T20 World Cups, a run that South Africa has now decisively ended. India will next face Zimbabwe on February 26, while South Africa will take on the West Indies the same day. This victory is not just a crucial step forward for South Africa but also serves as revenge for their defeat in the previous World Cup final.
