Ryan Rickelton succinctly summed up the chaos of the Proteas’ extraordinary win over Afghanistan in Ahmedabad.
“Cricket sucks. That’s the No 1 thought, I think.”
The Proteas edged a double Super Over thriller in their Group D clash at the T20 World Cup, surviving a dramatic finale after Kagiso Rabada bowled two no-balls and a wide in the last over of regulation play as the match was tied.
The first Super Over was tied too.
Only in the second decider did Tristan Stubbs and David Miller blast 23 runs to put the Proteas in control — before Rahmanullah Gurbaz launched a ferocious counterattack against Keshav Maharaj, smashing three successive sixes and leaving Afghanistan five to win off the final ball.
Maharaj held his nerve and South Africa held on.
And breathe 😮💨
The Proteas get over the line in a thriller against Afghanistan 🇿🇦🙌#SSCricket | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/JGnHmaWKLq
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) February 11, 2026
“I think, yes, it was a cracking game,” Rickelton said. “I actually don’t even have many words to describe it. Just really chuffed we got over the line in the end,”
Rickelton said the Proteas would rally around Rabad, who had a day to forget.
“KG, we’ll give him a bit of time, but we’ll get our arms around him. We’ll probably get a couple of drinks down him later. And yeah, he’s one of us through thick and thin, so he’s always going to be there.”
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When it came time to defend 23 in the second Super Over, Rickelton expected Rabada or Marco Jansen to take the ball. Instead, coach Shukri Conrad backed Maharaj’s left-arm spin.
“Credit must go to where it’s due because it worked,” Rickelton said. “It came down to the last wire.
“We tried to change it up and bowl slower, we tried to get them to hit over extra cover with the big boundary, which is the most difficult shot, and that would’ve been the plan.”
HIGHLIGHTS: Proteas vs Afghanistan (T20 World Cup)
After three sixes, it still came down to one ball.
“I’m glad it came off,” a relieved Rickelton said.
And in the end?
“I don’t even have that many words to describe it. I’m just chuffed that we got over the line.”
