India faced a massive 76-run defeat against South Africa in their first match of the Super 8 round of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in Ahmedabad. Legendary Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar openly criticized the Indian team's batting approach after the humiliating defeat in the World's biggest stadium. He stated that Suryakumar and his men failed to bat as per the conditions, not learning anything from the Proteas. South Africa broke India’s 12-match unbeaten streak in the T20 World Cups. The defending champions were nowhere in the chase as they kept losing the crucial wickets at regular intervals. Gavaskar thought that the Indian team’s batters were too aggressive while they needed to understand the match situation. Gavaskar Points to Brevis and Miller’s Smart Partnership Gavaskar praised Young Dewald Brevis and Seasoned Star David Miller for their capability to revive South Africa’s batting lineup after their side lost few early wickets. Their plan showed that they comprehensively understood the present conditions of the ground. On JioStar, Gavaskar said: "When you look at how Dewald Brevis and David Miller repaired the South African innings, they played shots more in the V. When the bouncers were bowled, they countered them intelligently because they realised that the ball was not coming onto the bat quickly. Having seen how Brevis and Miller built their partnership, that was the approach needed from the Indian batters." The surface at Narendra Modi Stadium made it challenging for players to execute their shots freely. The ball was not coming nicely onto the bat, and the short balls needed careful handling. Moreover, the variations in the pace by fast bowlers made it difficult for the batters to settle. According to him, South Africa understood this early and changed their game plan. Also Read | T20 World Cup 2026: Ashwin Slams Underprepared Suryakumar Yadav After India’s Super 8 Loss vs South Africa “India Did Not Take Notes,” Says Gavaskar Gavaskar stated that India should have taken South Africa's innings as a reference point, but they failed to make necessary adjustments later. He added: "But India did not take notes from South Africa's innings. They came out and threw their bat at every delivery, hoping for a boundary. That is not how you play T20 cricket. You have to learn from the opposition. If they have scored well on a tricky surface like this, you have to get rid of your ego, observe and adjust. The Indian batters did not do that. They came out with overconfidence, threw their bat at everything and lost wickets. South Africa clearly outsmarted India, and it was a well-deserved win for them." Former Indian cricketer explained that T20 cricket requires players to understand match circumstances, instead of just hitting big shots. The game requires players to understand both the current match conditions and the specific fielding conditions. With this heavy defeat, India’s road to the semi-finals has become tougher. The Men in Blue must secure victory in both upcoming matches while maintaining a high net run rate to retain their T20 World Cup title defense options. Along with two wins in upcoming matches of Super 8, they will also require South Africa to win their next two matches and end at the top with six points as only this situation will take India into the semis without any hassle. If SA finishes at 4 points and India wins their remaining two matches, then it will be a 3-way tie which will bring things on the net run rate.