T20 WC 2026: Proteas hand Men in Blue a ‘realitycheck’ with a 76-run defeat

Image: ©ICC

In a reversal of the T20 World Cup 2024 Final, South Africa delivered a masterclass in Ahmedabad to dismantle the confidence and ego of the current defending champions,

India, by defeating them in the Super 8s of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on

Sunday. David Miller's 63 off 35 balls and Marco Jansen’s 4/22 helped South Africa beat India by a massive 76-run, India’s biggest defeat in T20 World Cup history.

India left out Axar, their vice-captain

Even before the game started, fans were fuming at the Indian men's cricket team as Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav left the vice-captain of the squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 for a consecutive game. Axar Patel, the all-rounder who was rested for the Netherlands game, was suddenly left out as Men In Blue wanted to continue

with Washington Sunder, citing that it was a tactical decision, and although it was very hard on Axar, they wanted to continue with the combination from the last game.

The first-innings: Miller and Brevis rebuilt for SA

Aiden Markram’s decision to bat first looked disastrous early on as Jasprit Bumrah (3/15) produced an opening spell with immaculate precision. Bumrah, who now has the most wickets by an Indian in T20 World Cup history, clean-bowled Quinton de Kock for 6 and then trapped Ryan Rickelton soon after, leaving South Africa reeling at 20/3 within the first four overs. However, the game was turned on a massive 97-run partnership between the veteran David Miller and the young Dewald Brevis.

Miller, the senior pro, was the aggressor from the start, reaching his fifty in just 26 balls and punishing India’s spinners.

Brevis contributed a vital 45 before Shivam Dube finally broke the stand. A late cameo from Tristan Stubbs (44* off 24), which included a 20-run final over against Hardik Pandya, propelled the Proteas to a formidable 187 in the first inning.

The chase: India’s batting "Bomb" failed to explode

Chasing 188, India’s innings never left the runway. Ishan Kishan fell for a duck in the first over to Aiden Markram, and the nightmare continued as Marco Jansen (4/22) tore

through the top order.

Tilak Varma’s struggles in the T20 World Cup continued as he edged behind for 12, while Abhishek Sharma was undone by a MarcoJansen knuckleball.

The middle order, which had been criticised for being too cautious in the group stages, collapsed under the pressure of a climbing run rate.

Suryakumar Yadav (18) was unlucky to get an edge from the toe of the bat, while Hardik Pandya (18) failed to convert his start.

Shivam Dube looked like the only hope for India with a valiant 42, but he never had any meaningful support. Keshav Maharaj (3/24) cleaned up the tail with his trickery as India were bundled out for 111, their heaviest-ever defeat in T20 World Cup

history.

David Miller was Player of the Match for his 63 with the bat.

India will face Zimbabwe on 26th February in their next match of the Super 8s.