South Africa pacers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi ran through the West Indies top order in their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match. WI got off to a flyer in Ahmedabad before Rabada and Ngidi struck twice in their overs to reduce the Men in Maroon to 43/4. A South Africa win eases India's qualification path of the semis and the fans rejoiced the Proteas' success.
Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to field first in their crucial match against West Indies in Ahmedabad. Batting in the afternoon heat, West Indies got off to a flyer as Shai Hope picked up 17 runs from the first over. Marco Jansen's first over went for 12 as the Men in Maroon got 29 in the first two overs.
West Indies looked set for a massive total, having some into the game having smashed 254 against Zimbabwe in the last game. However, South Africa flipped the script with some fine fast bowling. Kagiso Rabada first dismissed the dangerous Shai Hope caught behind.
Shimron Hetmyer was dropped by Corbin Bosch at mid on, only for Rabada to hit back with his wicket the next ball.
If that wasn't enough, Lungi Ngidi made instant impact as well. Brandon King hit the right arm pacer for consecutive boundaries. A word with Rabada saw Ngidi alter his line and he produced an edge to get the WI opener. Roston Chase, the only change for the game, was then cleaned with an inside edge crashing into the stumps.
West Indies slipped from 29/0 to 43/4 in a stunning collapse. Fans watching at the Narendra Modi Stadium rejoiced, with several of them wearing Indian jerseys, celebrating.
India's best case scenario in the next two matches is to win them. The Men in Blue face off against Zimbabwe in Chennai, before a final Super 8 match against the West Indies in Kolkata.
Wins in both those matches will leave them on 4 points, opening a bunch of potential scenarios in Super Group 1. For an easier path, Surya and Co will hope that South Africa can continue their run and win all 3 matches, leaving India at 4 as the best placed ahead of West Indies and Zimbabwe.
