3 sixes in 3 balls: How Rahmanullah Gurbaz almost stole a ‘double Super Over’ thriller from South Africa

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This was the first Super Over of the T20 World Cup 2026.

How 1st Super Over between South Africa and Afghanistan played out

In the Super Over, South Africa handed the ball to Lungi Ngidi with Afghanistan trusting Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz with the bat. Azmatullah slapped the first two balls of the super over for a four and then a six before taking a single and handing the strike to Afghanistan’s top scorer of the day, Gurbaz. After another single on the fourth ball, Azmatullah was back on strike. This time, he heaved the ball on the off side where Kagiso Rabada caught the ball with a dive, but spilled it when he fell, thus resulting into a boundary. With a single in the final ball, Afghanistan gave South Africa a target of 18 to win the game.

In response, South Africa sent out David Miller and Dewald Brevis to chase down the target of 18 with Fazalhaq Farooqi bowling. Miller could only manage a single on the first ball, failing to put away a full toss from Farooqi. But Brevis capitalised on a short delivery on the second ball to heave it over cow corner for a maximum. The drama came on the next ball, as Brewis lost his wicket to a slower-ball bouncer, top edging the ball to the keeper. Tristan Stubbs started off with an edged boundary on his first ball but could not score on the next to leave South Africa needing seven runs on the final ball. Here, Stubbs hit a six to tie the Super Over!

How 2nd Super Over between South Africa and Afghanistan played out

The rules meant that Brewis could not bat, since he had been dismissed in the first Super Over. And Farooqi could not ball, since he had bowled for Afghanistan in the first Super Over. Stubbs and Miller came out to bat for South Africa. Afghanistan handed the ball to Azmatullah Omarzai. This time, Stubbs started off the second Super Over with a six on the first ball, before the batters took a single on the second. On the third ball, the batters ran two, which meant nine runs from three balls. On the fourth ball, Miller slammed a 95m hit to the stands for a maximum. The fifth ball was hit for another six before the pair took two runs on the final ball. They set a target of 24 for Afghanistan in the second Super Over.

With Ngidi ineligible to bowl in the second Super Over since he had bowled in the first one, South Africa handed the ball to spinner Keshav Maharaj. Afghanistan sent out Mohammad Nabi and Omarzai. After a dot ball first up, Nabi threw away his wicket on the second ball with an easy catch to Miller. Gurbaz came out again to bat on the third ball with Afghanistan chasing 24 runs from four balls, which meant sixes on all four balls. Gurbaz started off his assault on that target with a six over Maharaj’s head. Then followed that up with another six over long on’s head. Now all Afghanistan needed were 12 runs from two balls. The third ball from Maharaj was tonked for another maximum! Afghanistan now needed just six runs from the final ball. Under pressure, Maharaj now bowled a wide, which meant a boundary would have sent the game into a third Super Over. Alas, it was not to be as Gurbaz got dismissed on the final ball.

The game was a must-win for Afghanistan after they lost their T20 World Cup 2026 opener to New Zealand. Meanwhile,
South Africa had won their opening game over Canada. Only the top two teams in each of the four groups will advance to the Super 8.

South Africa made come into the game against Afghanistan with one change: left-arm orthodox spinner George Linde replaced fast bowling allrounder Corbin Bosch. Afghanistan too made one change with left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad being called in to replace medium pace bowler Ziaur Rahman.

(With inputs from AP)