Super 8 Promo Backfires as India Crushed by South Africa, Star Sports Deletes Video
Mumbai: In a stunning upset during the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa defeated defending champions India by 76 runs, leaving India not only losing the match but also embarrassed by a pre-match promotional video.
South Africa defeated India in a one-sided match, and Star Sports has deleted this offensive ad it made for this particular encounter.
Perhaps this episode will teach our ad makers that arrogance masquerading as marketing is neither clever nor graceful.
pic.twitter.com/uK9W96p95Y— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) February 22, 2026
The promo, released by Star Sports, had portrayed dummy Indian and South African players sitting together at a hotel table. In the video, an Indian player reaches for a cupcake, which is taken by a South African player, prompting the Indian to say, “Sorry to you.” The Indian player then boasts about winning the 2024 final and declares, “The cup is ours, and we will win the upcoming Super 8 match too,” before the South African player accidentally gets the cupcake stuck in his throat, and the Indian player says, “Choking.”
جنوبی افریقہ کے خلاف میچ سے قبل بھارت نے یہ کمرشل بنایا تھا لیکن کہتے ہیں نا کہ غرور کا سر نیچا ہوتا ہے آج بھارتی ٹیم کو 76 رنز کے بڑے مارجن سے شکست ہو گئی۔#T20WorldCup#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/BlIAw3vdB0
— Mirza Iqbal Baig (@mirzaiqbal80) February 22, 2026
After India’s heavy defeat, Star Sports deleted the video. However, it had already gone viral on social media, with users mocking the Indian team and criticizing their overconfidence. Social media users highlighted the proverb “pride comes before a fall,” calling the video a perfect example.
Indias what will you do with this ad?#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/tRV5k95zMl
— Rizwan Ghilzai (Remembering Arshad Sharif) (@rizwanghilzai) February 22, 2026
Mirza Iqbal Baig commented that India’s promo turned into embarrassment after the 76-run loss to South Africa, while Rizwan Ghulam questioned the intentions behind the ad. Another user stated that Star Sports deserved criticism and should apologize to South Africa for the misstep.
ofcourse they’ve decided to delete the tweet but @StarSportsIndia deserves this humiliation. if they had an iota of integrity, they would issue an apology to South Africa. unbridled arrogance. the game always finds a way to humble those who think they are bigger than the game 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/3QCM3DFw1u
— CaniZ (@caniyaar) February 22, 2026
This defeat allows South Africa to avenge their loss in the previous World Cup final. India will next face Zimbabwe on February 26, while South Africa will play West Indies on the same day. The victory marks an important morale boost for South Africa and settles last World Cup’s final score.
