T20 World Cup 2026: ‘I wanted to bowl first Super Over too’, says Keshav Maharaj

SA’s Keshav Maharaj celebrates their victory over Afghanistan in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Pic/Getty Images

South Africa left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj revealed he was keen to bowl the first Super Over too, before getting the responsibility to bowl in the second tie-breaker against Afghanistan in what turned out to be one of the greatest T20 World Cup matches of all time here Wednesday.

SA pipped Afghanistan after two Super Overs in a thrilling Group D match after posting 187-6. Afghanistan matched that total but failed to knock off the required 23 runs when the game went into the six-ball each shootout for the second time on a frenzied day.

While pacer Lungi Ngidi, who bowled exceptionally well in regulation time to win the Player of the Match award, conceded 17 runs in the first Super Over, spinner Keshav Maharaj succeeded for SA the second time, picking up two wickets to seal the contest.

"I asked to bowl the first Super Over but obviously Lungs [Lungi Ngidi] was on fire over there, so they went to Lungi," he said.

After the first Super Over ended in a tie, the left-arm spinner knew it would be his turn. "We [SA head coach Shukri Conrad, the coach and Maharaj] kind of locked eyes because I was waiting for him to turn at me and then was he's like, ‘It's you,' and I was like, ‘perfect!' I wanted the ball, wanted to change the rhythm of play," he explained.

Meanwhile, SA skipper Markram said: "Ultimately in Super Overs you're picking your most confident guys. Lungi didn't miss by much in the first over but they still got a good score. Same story with Kesh. Tough being a spinner. Still backed him."

One
No. of double Super Overs in the history of the T20 World Cup

Three
Total number of double Super Overs in men's T20Is; two of them involve Afghanistan, once against India in 2024

Three
No. of Super Overs Afghanistan have been part of in T20Is; they have lost all three games, against Ireland, India and South Africa

84
No. of runs scored by Rahmanullah Gurbaz on Wednesday, the highest individual score for Afghanistan in a T20 WC

737
No. of runs scored by Quinton de Kock in T20 World Cups, the most by any South African, surpassing AB de Villiers (717)

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