T20 World Cup: Super overs’ thriller unlocks South Africa’s free-flowing game; but can they unshackle India’s strangle? | Cricket News
5 min readFeb 20, 2026 06:18 PM IST Under the mellow Ahmedabad sun, Aiden Markram and Lungi Ngidi strode out, stretching their stiff sinews when a groundsman in a wooden cart stopped and waved at them. They waved him back with a curious smile. Having spent nearly a fortnight in the city, playing three of their four group-stage games here including the heart-stopper against Afghanistan, they have struck a warm familiarity with the groundsmen and attendants. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Markram did not linger around the square, pitch gazing, the first line of action overseas captains dutifully perform here. Maybe, pitch-brooding in T20Is is a pointless chore, unlike in the longer formats. Maybe, he is suitably acquainted with the moods and pulse of the surface, its bends and corners. Maybe, he feels at home, even though the venues in South Africa are less of a concrete maze than the Narendra Modi Stadium. Maybe, he and his team have developed a sense of fondness after the great escape against Afghanistan here. Nothing forges bonds than a …



