Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium witnessed a shocking collapse as India faced their first ICC tournament loss post-2023 ODI World Cup. South Africa scripted a massive 76-run victory in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match, exposing chinks in India’s armor.
Batting first, the Proteas racked up 187/7, thanks to standout knocks from David Miller (63 off 35) and Dewald Brevis (45 off 29). Miller’s aggressive strokeplay, including seven boundaries and three maximums, propelled South Africa to a strong finish. Jasprit Bumrah was India’s lone bright spot, dismantling the innings with 3/15.
India’s reply was disastrous. Chasing 188, they folded for 111 all out. Openers Ishan Kishan (0) and Abhishek Sharma (15) failed to fire, while Tilak Varma (1) and Suryakumar Yadav (18) offered little resistance. Shivam Dube top-scored with 42 off 37 balls, but lacked support from Washington Sundar and Hardik Pandya.
Marco Jansen’s 4/22 and Keshav Maharaj’s 3 wickets sealed South Africa’s dominance. This defeat ends India’s 17-match winning streak in ICC events across formats since 2023, marking their heaviest T20 World Cup loss by margin.
Fans are stunned, and analysts point to poor shot selection and inability to handle spin as key factors. With the tournament heating up, India faces mounting pressure to bounce back.