Magazine : 
ICC Men's T20 WC'24: Klassen's Run-Out Crushes Nepal's Super Eight Hopes
Heinrich Klassen's decisive run-out on the final delivery clinched a thrilling one-run victory for South Africa over Nepal, dashing the Asian side's hopes of advancing to the Super Eight stage in the Ground D match of the ICC T20 World Cup at St. Vincent Stadium.
Nepal's Gulsan Jha, requiring two runs from the final ball to keep their tournament hopes alive, was run out at the non-striker's end by Klaasen, denying what appeared to be an impending Super Over. The conclusion was devastating for Nepal, who had outplayed South Africa for the majority of the game.
Nepal's spinners had dominated, restricting South Africa to a modest 115/7. The South African innings was anchored by opener Reeza Hendricks, who scored 43 runs, while Tristan Stubbs was the only other batter to cross a strike rate of 100, finishing unbeaten on 27 off 18 balls. Nepal's bowlers, Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee, were exceptional, sharing seven wickets between them and keeping the Proteas' batters in check.
In response, Nepal looked well on their way to victory. Their top-order batsmen had the chase under control, reaching 85/2 by the 14th over with the required rate comfortably manageable. However, South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi turned the tide with a brilliant spell, taking 4/19, which put immense pressure on the Nepali chase. Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Ottneil Baartman then held their nerve, bowling the final two overs to perfection and leaving Nepal needing eight runs from the last over.
The intensity reached its climax when Gulsan Jha hit a boundary on the third ball of the last over, leaving Nepal needing just two runs from the final delivery. Klassen's swift reaction and accurate throw resulted in Jha being run out just short of the crease, securing a memorable victory for South Africa and shattering the hopes of Nepal.
