South African pacer Kagiso Rabada went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2024 group match against Nepal. He could have taken a wicket if he hadn’t dropped an easy catch in his very first over. Nepal opener Aasif Sheikh lofted the ball into the air, creating a catching opportunity for the Proteas. Rabada confidently called for the catch to keep his teammates away.
Kagiso Rabada dropped an easy catch after a confident shout
Rabada was totally under the ball but fumbled and ended up dropping it. This was a huge miss for South Africa as they were defending only 115 runs. Aasif Sheikh utilized the lifeline well, scoring 42 runs off 49 balls in the low-scoring encounter. A well-set Sheikh was eventually dismissed when Nepal needed 15 off 13 balls.
Rabada was a bit expensive compared to the other bowlers, and captain Markram didn’t hand him the ball after his second over. It was Ottniel Baartman who bowled the last over. Nepal almost pulled off a miracle, but they were unlucky as they couldn’t score off the last ball, ending up losing by just one run. Had Nepal emerged with the historic win, the blame for South Africa’s defeat might have been placed on Kagiso Rabada’s dropped catch.
— Sunny Jake (@SunnyJake186310) June 15, 2024
South Africa won all 4 games in the Group stage, but their performances might not evoke complete pride. Their matches against underdogs Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Nepal were all closely contested, with South Africa finding themselves in precarious positions and narrowly avoiding defeats.
With the defeat yesterday, Nepal has been eliminated from contention for the Super 8 stage. Bangladesh seems poised to advance to the Super 8 stage, while the Netherlands still has a slim chance to qualify, though it remains unlikely.
