India's T20 WC Hopes Dented After 76-Run Thumping by South Africa

South Africa produced a clinical all-round display to outplay India in front of 90,954 fans. Despite being reduced to 20/3 inside four overs, the Proteas rebuilt through David Miller (63 off 35 balls) and Dewald Brevis (45), whose 97-run stand steadied the innings. A late flourish from Stubbs powered them to a competitive 187/7.

India's reply never found rhythm. Early wickets derailed the chase as they slipped to 51/5 within the first 10 overs. Shivam Dube's fighting 42 briefly raised hopes, but disciplined bowling from Marco Jansen (4-22), Keshav Maharaj (3-24) and Corbin Bosch ensured the asking rate spiralled beyond reach. India were eventually bowled out for 111 in 18.5 overs, bringing an end to their 12-match winning streak in T20 World Cups.

Reacting to the defeat, Saikia shared a short but optimistic message on social media, indicating belief in the team's ability to regroup.

"Last evening in India - South Africa match...lost but will bounce back," Saikia captioned his X post.

The loss was India's first in an ICC event since the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the same venue and served as a reality check in the Super Eights stage. While Jasprit Bumrah (3-15) and Arshdeep Singh (2-28) delivered strong spells with the ball, India's batting unit struggled to adapt to the slightly slow surface, often failing to build meaningful partnerships after early setbacks.

With their net run rate dipping to -38, India now find themselves in a must-win situation in their remaining Super Eights fixtures against Zimbabwe and the West Indies to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

- IANS