Proteas’ Powerplay Masterclass: India Reeling at 13/2 After 2 Overs

India’s daunting chase of 188 began with a catastrophic opening over at the Narendra Modi Stadium on February 22, 2026. In a bold tactical move, South African skipper Aiden Markram opened the bowling with his off-spin and immediately silenced the Ahmedabad crowd.

On the fourth delivery, Ishan Kishan (0 off 4 balls) attempted a slog-sweep but only managed a leading edge, which was safely pouched by Ryan Rickelton. The early breakthrough left the defending champions reeling at 0/1. Abhishek Sharma, however, countered the pressure on the final ball of the over, cutting a short delivery from Markram to the fence for four runs to get India off the mark.

The second over saw South Africa’s Marco Jansen maintain the squeeze. He dismissed Tilak Varma (1 off 2 balls) with only his first delivery, leaving India in deep trouble at 13/2 after just 2 overs.