South Africa and Afghanistan played out one of the most memorable matches in the T20 World Cup history with the Proteas edging past their opponents after two super overs in Ahmedabad.
After the first super over was tied, David Miller's 16 from four balls helped South Africa post 23-0 in the second one before Afghanistan fell four runs short in a remarkable game, which was decided by the finest of margins.
South Africa posted 187 6 after half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton but Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 84 from 42 and cameos from Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan, who added 22 and 20, kept a resolute Afghanistan in the chase.
Needing 13 runs from the final over with one wicket in hand, the Afghans were handed a lifeline through two no balls from Kagiso Rabada.
However, with two required from three balls, Fazalhaq Farooqi was run out looking to scamper a second, forcing the match to go to a super over.
There was no winner after the first super over as South Africa matched Afghanistan's 17-run effort, despite losing Dewald Brevis, but they came out on top in the second attempt.
It is the third time a men's T20 international has required multiple super overs to be settled after India beat Afghanistan following two super overs in January 2024, while Netherlands beat Nepal after three super overs in June last year.
This was a repeat of the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final where the Proteas came out on top, but this time Afghanistan offered them a far sterner test than in Trinidad, where they were bundled out for 56.
After being sent in to bat by Afghanistan captain Rashid, South Africa opener De Kock reached his fifty in 34 balls, while Rickelton got his half-century in just 23 deliveries.
Rashid then removed De Kock for 59 off 41 and Rickelton for 61 off 28 in the same over, but only after the pair had put on a 114 run second wicket stand to guide them to a competitive total.
Chasing 188 to win, Afghanistan raced to 50-0 in four overs before Lungi Ngidi halted their momentum with the wickets of Ibrahim Zadran and Gulbadin Naib in the fifth over.
Despite the setback, Rahmanullah kept the Afghans firmly in the contest, powering to a half-century in 26 balls and, by the time he departed, they needed only 67 from 45 deliveries.
Noor Ahmad's nine-ball 15 then took the game to the tie-breaker, where Azmatullah's hitting carried Afghanistan to 17-0, only for Tristan Stubbs to clear the rope in the final ball of South Africa's first super over to tie the match again.
It was then South Africa's turn to set Afghanistan a target in the second super over and Rahmanullah's 18 off four proved in vain as spinner Keshav Maharaj took two wickets, including one off the final ball, with the Afghans finishing on 19-2, having needed 24 to win.
The Proteas' win adds to their 57-run victory over Canada in their opener, while Afghanistan's chances of reaching the knockout stages are as good as over after back-to-back defeats.
South Africa next face New Zealand at the same venue on Saturday, while Afghanistan take on the United Arab Emirates in Delhi on Monday.
Source: BBC