After choosing to field, South Africa’s seam attack—Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada and Corbin Bosch—delivered a superb display of hostile fast bowling. Making full use of the bounce on the red-soil surface in Ahmedabad, they ripped through the West Indies top order, reducing them to 83/7 by the 11th over and threatening to bowl them out for a modest total. Key hitters like Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford failed to make an impact.
The innings, however, saw a remarkable revival as Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd stitched together a record-breaking 89-run stand for the eighth wicket in T20 World Cup history. Shepherd struck a fighting unbeaten 52 off 37 balls, while Holder added a crucial 49 before being run out off the penultimate delivery, lifting West Indies to a competitive 176/8.
Any hopes of that late surge swinging the match were quickly dashed during South Africa’s chase. Openers Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram dominated the powerplay, racing to 69 without loss in six overs. De Kock’s brisk 47 from 24 balls set the tone, and after his dismissal, Markram anchored the innings with a composed, unbeaten 82 off 46 deliveries. He found solid support from Ryan Rickelton, who remained not out on 45, as the target was chased down with 23 balls to spare.
The victory places South Africa firmly at the top of the standings with four points and a strong net run rate. For West Indies, the defeat ends their unbeaten streak and makes their final match a must-win. The result also keeps India’s semi-final hopes alive, as the convincing margin ensures the qualification race remains open without heavy dependence on net run rate calculations.
