South Africa swung the momentum firmly in their favour with two outstanding boundary catches that shifted the balance of the contest against Afghanistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash.
The first breakthrough came when Lungi Ngidi dismissed Azmatullah Omarzai thanks to Tristan Stubbs’ brilliance at the rope. Ngidi bowled a slower off-cutter on leg stump, inviting the lofted stroke. Omarzai stepped forward and tried to clear the boundary, but Stubbs, positioned right at the edge, showed remarkable awareness. Realising he was about to cross the rope, he grabbed the ball, flicked it back into play, regained balance inside the field and completed the catch. Omarzai fell for 22 off 17 balls, and Afghanistan lost a key hitter at a crucial stage.
The pressure intensified further when Marco Jansen removed Rashid Khan. Delivering a slower off-cutter, full and wide outside off, Jansen tempted Rashid into an ambitious lofted shot. David Miller, stationed at long-on, ran to his left and held on to a clean catch under pressure. Rashid departed for 20 off 12 balls, including three boundaries.
Those two dismissals not only removed Afghanistan’s power-hitters but also tilted the contest decisively towards South Africa, who capitalised on the breakthroughs to tighten their grip on the game.