South Africa secured a thrilling one-run win against Nepal in their T20 World Cup 2024 Group D clash on Saturday (IST). With this victory, the Proteas maintain a perfect record in the group stage, advancing undefeated into the Super 8s.
Despite facing a potential defeat as Nepal’s Rohit Paudel and team chased 116 confidently, spinner Tabraiz Shamsi’s four-wicket haul shifted momentum in South Africa’s favor, allowing them to snatch victory from Nepal on the final ball.
Nepal’s elimination from the Super 8s race sparked a social media frenzy, leaving many fans heartbroken. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar and popular VJ Nikhil Chinapa also praised Nepal for their performance.
Heartbroken for Nepal🇳🇵💔
SA beat nepal 🇳🇵 by just 1 run#SAvsNEP #T20WorldCup #Nepal #NEPvsSA pic.twitter.com/bK0W1ZXmBw
— rebanta pandey (@Jitu172) June 15, 2024
Nepal is the team to watch in the next 10 years!
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) June 15, 2024
Also Read: USA Makes History, Qualifies For T20 World Cup 2026
What a game it was! Nepal lost by a very small margin, by one run! The players performed very well and this day has been recorded in golden letters in the history of Nepal cricket.#NEPvsSA #Nepal pic.twitter.com/tAfrZcyn2A
— Dushyant Kumar (@DushyantKrRawat) June 15, 2024
Heart Breaking moment when Nepal lost by just 1 run vs South Africa as Gulsan Jha was runout by the barest of margin. #NEPvSA #NEPvsSA #SAvNEP #SAvsNEPpic.twitter.com/ZOqtuxP5VK
— Abdullah Neaz🏏 (@cric___guy) June 15, 2024
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Needing eight runs from the last over to secure a surprising victory chase of 116, Nepal agonizingly fell short at 114/7. Gulshan Jha was run out on the final ball attempting a single to force a super over against Ottneil Baartman.
Leg-spinner Kushal Bhurtel (4/19) and off-spinner Dipendra Singh Airee (3/21) restricted South Africa to 115/7. In response, Aasif Sheikh (42) and Anil Sah (27) formed a crucial 50-run partnership, bringing Nepal close to a win that would have kept their Super Eight hopes alive.
‘We are very proud of our team, especially our bowling and batting efforts. We assessed the pitch yesterday and anticipated it would be slow. It indeed assisted spinners, prompting us to rely on Kushal Bhurtel and continue with our spin options,’ remarked Nepal captain Paudel post-match.
‘We were nearly there, but fell just short. Despite struggling in crucial moments, we fought valiantly. With more matches against such teams, we’ll aim to be on the winning side next time. I extend heartfelt thanks to our fans for their unwavering support; we deeply appreciate it,’ he concluded.
