RJ Princy Parikh alleges threats after viral David Miller reel amid India’s defeat

Published - 24 Feb 2026, 23:47 IST | Updated - 24 Feb 2026, 23:50 IST

India lost to South Africa by 76 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight clash and later a social media reel featuring influencer RJ Princy Parikh and David Miller went viral. Parikh later alleged that she received disturbing rape threats and was subjected to body-shaming following the video’s circulation.

The reel, posted after the match in Ahmedabad, showed Parikh encircling Miller with the caption, ‘David Miller! What a player’, while the text within the video read, ‘I thought we were friends, David’. Amid the backlash, she deleted the reel from Facebook, though it remains on her Instagram account. Parikh has stated that she intends to file a police complaint regarding the threats.

On the field, South Africa delivered a commanding performance at the Narendra Modi Stadium. After opting to bat, the Proteas were reduced to 20/3 despite a fiery opening spell from Jasprit Bumrah. However, a crucial 97-run partnership between Miller and Dewald Brevis shifted the momentum. The veteran struck 63 off 35 balls, while Brevis contributed 45. An unbeaten 44 from Tristan Stubbs propelled the Proteas to 187/7.

The Men in Blue’s chase faltered early with wickets falling in the powerplay. Though Shivam Dube top-scored with 42, the batting unit struggled under sustained pressure. Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen claimed four wickets, and Keshav Maharaj picked up three to seal a comprehensive win.

The defeat marked India’s first loss in 18 ICC matches across formats since the 2023 World Cup final against Australia at the same venue. It was also their first loss in a multi-nation T20I tournament since the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal against England in Adelaide. In multi-nation T20Is since 2022, India have played 23 matches, winning 21 (including one Super Over), losing one, with one no-result.

South Africa will next face the West Indies at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on February 26, while India take on Zimbabwe at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on the same day.