CSK Spinner Noor Ahmad Single-Handedly Guides Durban Super Giants to Victory in SA20

Noor Ahmad, the talented Afghan spinner recently acquired by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2025 mega auction, delivered a spectacular performance for Durban Super Giants in a high-stakes SA20 match at Kingsmead, Durban.

The Pretoria Capitals’ openers, Will Jacks and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, were on a rampage, putting together a mammoth 154-run partnership in just 12.1 overs. Their aggressive batting left the Durban Super Giants struggling to find answers. However, Noor Ahmad stepped up under pressure to change the course of the game.

He first dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who was looking unstoppable with 89 runs off 43 balls. Shortly after, he bowled out the ‘danger man’ Will Jacks, who had hammered 64 runs off 35 balls.

NOOR AHMAD: 4-0-34-2 IN SA20…!!!!

– When both teams scoring 10+ RPO, Noor showed his class in Durban.

Noor is part of CSK in IPL, waiting for his action in Chepauk. 💛 pic.twitter.com/Ylmst5P8WG

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 10, 2025

These two wickets came at a critical juncture, breaking the Capitals’ momentum and halting what looked like a certain victory for the Capitals.

Maintaining Economy on a High-Scoring Pitch

While most bowlers struggled on the batting-friendly surface, Noor Ahmad managed to keep things tight with an impressive economy rate of 8.50. He completed his four-over spell with figures of 4-0-34-2, standing out as the most effective bowler in the match.

Strong Support from Naveen-ul-Haq and Keshav Maharaj

Noor’s performance was complemented by his countryman Naveen-ul-Haq, who excelled in the death overs. Naveen dismissed James Neesham and applied brakes to the Capitals’ scoring, finishing with 4-0-35-1. Skipper Keshav Maharaj also played a huge role, bowling a tidy spell and picking up a key wicket of Liam Livingstone.

The combined efforts of the bowling unit, led by Noor, restricted the Pretoria Capitals to 207/6, a total that fell just short as Durban Super Giants clinched a nail-biting 2-run victory.