Dominant India aim for consistency as South Africa seek parity in T20I series
India got off to a solid start in the T20I series, blowing apart South Africa in the opener in Cuttak. A solid all-round performance from Hardik Pandya clubbed with a collective stance from the bowlers sealed the fate of the game in the Men in Blue's favour as they registered a massive 101-run win. Despite the win though, India will have some serious introspection to do when it comes to the fettle of their top-order.
Suryakumar Yadav’s form has been a major spot of bother while Shubman Gill’s return to cricket will also be under the scanner after he missed out on getting the wheels in motion in the series opener. However, Hardik Pandya’s solid performance will be a massive sigh of reprieve for the Indian cricket team and they will expect him to deliver the payload again.
South Africa did secure some early momentum with the ball but failure to close down the Indian team is what allowed them back into the game and from thereon, it was only a descent into an endless pit for the visitors. They will be hopeful of turning things around when they meet for the second time in the series.
Venue Watch:
The surface in Punjab has offered a decent balance between the bat and the ball. There is true bounce which offers value to shots while as the evening wears on, spinners will come into the groove. The dew factor will also be a major game-changer, aiding the team batting second significantly.
Match details:
Match - India vs South Africa, 2nd T20I
Venue – PCA New Cricket Stadium, Tira
Date – 11th December, 2025
Time – 7:00 PM
Head-to-head:
Matches played - 32
India - 19
South Africa – 12
Squads:
India:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar.
South Africa:
Aiden Markram (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tristan Stubbs.
