Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir were brought to ground on Sunday after India went down to South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s clash by 76 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Nothing went right for the defending champions as the Proteas outplayed them in all three departments of the game. The loss has now truly put the pressure on the hosts, and they must win the remaining two Group 1 fixtures against Zimbabwe and the West Indies to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals. Two back-to-back wins might also not be enough, as the net run rate took a severe hit after the heavy loss against Aiden Markram’s team.
After seeing what transpired in Ahmedabad, former Pakistan batter Mohammad tipped his hat to former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir, who had earlier predicted that India wouldn’t be able to reach the semi-finals. Whether it comes true or not, only time will tell, but for starters, Amir’s prediction has come one step closer to being fulfilled.
Yousuf dubbed Amir as a true “menace”, who is now rattling India from the studio, saying he should give the space for the side to “breathe” as they are “already under fire.”
“Oye @iamamirofficial, you menace! You tormented #India on the field, and now you’re rattling them from the studio. Let them breathe; they’re already under fire. South Africa, the finalists, have picked up right where they left off last #T20WorldCup. A formidable side! Top order stumbled, but the lower order delivered, and the bowling discipline was exceptional,” Yousuf wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Earlier, Amir had stated that both South Africa and the West Indies played better cricket than India in the group stage, hence India would find it tough to reach the semi-finals. When the left-arm pacer made this prediction, he was brutally trolled on social media with Indian fans not taking kindly to his comment.
What happened in Ahmedabad?
In the match between India and South Africa, the Proteas won the toss and elected to bat first. The Proteas posted 187/7 in 20 overs, owing to a 63-run knock by David Miller. Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs also chipped in with valuable innings of 45 and 44* to help South Africa go past the 185-run mark.
South Africa were 20/3 at one stage, but Miller and Brevis brought the innings back on track with a 97-run stand for the fourth wicket. India then folded for 111, as Marco Jansen returned with a four-wicket haul.
Shivam Dube was the top scorer for India, playing a knock of 42 runs. Had he not gotten this much, India’s innings would have been even more dire.
