T20 World Cup: South Africa beat India by 76 runs in Super Eight
Al Jazeera
February 22, 2026
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South Africa handed defending champions India a decisive 76-run defeat in their opening Super Eight clash at the T20 World Cup, dealing a significant blow to India's semifinal hopes. Chasing a challenging target of 188, India crumbled under South Africa's disciplined bowling and flawless fielding, being bowled out for just 111 in 18.5 overs. This marked India's first loss since winning the tournament in 2024 and ended their impressive 12-match winning streak.
South Africa's bowlers were clinical, led by Marco Jansen who claimed four wickets for 22 runs, and Keshav Maharaj with three wickets for 24 runs. Their performance was supported by sharp catches from the fielders, which left India struggling to recover after losing key players early on. Ishan Kishan fell cheaply in the fourth ball of the innings, followed by Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma, leaving Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya to try and stabilize the innings. However, their efforts were insufficient as South Africa maintained relentless pressure.
India's collapse was partly due to South Africa's strong
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Originally published on Al Jazeera on 2/22/2026