Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen take stunning catches to leave Afghanistan struggling in T20 World Cup 2026

South Africa fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada are on fire as they handed two crucial early blows to Afghanistan in successive overs during their chase in their Group D match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 11.

Afghanistan rocked by double ducks in T20 World Cup 2026 clash

On the fourth ball of the fifth over, Lungi Ngidi dismissed Gulbadin Naib for a two-ball duck, and then Kagiso Rabada sent Sediqullah Atal back to the dugout for a three-ball duck, courtesy of Marco Jansen’s stunning catch on the second ball of the sixth over in their Group D encounter in Ahmedabad.

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How Lungi Ngidi gets the better of Gulbadin Naib

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Ngidi had bowled a clever slower ball, reducing his pace and rolling his fingers over the seam to outsmart the former Afghanistan captain. Naib stepped forward to defend it carefully. But the ball did something unexpected. After pitching, it slightly changed direction and moved back in.

As Naib tried to block it, the ball caught the thick inside edge of his bat instead of the middle. Unfortunate for the Afghan side, the ball popped up in the air and went back towards the bowler.

Yet, the task was not easy at all as Ngidi had to react quickly. The Proteas star ran forward, dove low, and grabbed the ball safely with both hands just before it could touch the ground to complete a pure athletic catch to send Naib back to the dugout.

Afghanistan in big trouble as Kagiso Rabada delivers key breakthrough

After a few deliveries, Kagiso Rabada gave South Africa another big breakthrough, putting Afghanistan in big trouble as they are chasing 189 runs to win the T20 World Cup 2026 group match. Rabada bowled a back-of-a-length delivery that angled into left-hander Sediqullah Atal.

The ball moved towards his body after pitching. Atal tried to play a flick shot towards the leg side. However, the Afghanistan batter got inside the line to play the shot, but he could not keep it down. The ball went up in the air and stayed close to the short fine leg area.

Marco Jansen, who was stationed there, moved slightly across. Using his height and long arms, he slid to his side and took a clean catch with both hands. Atal was dismissed for 0 runs from 3 balls, and South Africa gained strong control of the match in Ahmedabad.

pic.twitter.com/IAUvbMJ0rJ

— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) February 11, 2026

Earlier, the South African side posted 187/6 on the board in 20 overs, thanks to stunning fifties from Quinton de Kock (59 runs off 41 balls) and Ryan Rickelton (61 runs off 28 balls) against Afghanistan. For the Afghan side, Azmatullah Omarzai was the standout bowler with three scalps, while captain Rashid Khan took two wickets in the ongoing Group D clash on Wednesday.

Read Also: No Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli! Chris Lynn’s all-time T20 XI sparks massive debate during T20 World Cup 2026

South Africa loss could end their T20 World Cup 2026 dream

Afghanistan is already under big pressure in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. After suffering defeat against New Zealand in their tournament opener, they now find themselves in a must-win situation against South Africa. If they lose again today, their Super 8 chances will be very slim.

Their last two group matches are against UAE and Canada, but another loss will put them behind in the race. In Group D, New Zealand already made a strong statement with two dominant wins. South Africa has also thrashed Canada in their opening game.

With both teams looking solid, Afghanistan cannot afford another loss, especially after having qualified for the semifinals in the last edition of T20 World Cup.