India vs South Africa T20

India vs South Africa T20 Suryakumar’s India clash with Markram’s Proteas in the first of five T20Is on Dec 9. Featuring the returns of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. Live score

India vs South Africa 1st T20I (Dec 9) Squad List

India vs South Africa 1st T20

The final leg of South Africa’s all-format tour of India shifts gears from the long-form battles to the shortest, most explosive version of the game. The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack is set to host the much-anticipated first T20 International of the five-match series between the reigning T20 World Champions, India, and a formidable South African side on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. After the Proteas secured a 2-0 victory in the Test series and India retaliated with a dominant 2-1 win in the ODIs, this five-match T20I series is poised to be the high-octane climax of the tour, carrying significant weight as both teams fine-tune their combinations with the T20 World Cup fast approaching.

India: Regaining T20 Supremacy

Led by the aggressive and inventive Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian T20 side is currently ranked No. 1 and is keen to assert its dominance in the format where they have found consistent success over the last year. The squad sees the crucial return of key all-rounder Hardik Pandya and the pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, adding significant balance and firepower. Furthermore, vice-captain Shubman Gill, now fully fit after a neck injury, is expected to bring stability and aggression at the top of the order alongside the explosive Abhishek Sharma.

India’s recent T20 success has been built on an explosive top-order batting unit and a potent bowling attack that blends pace and spin wizardry. The middle-order strength, featuring Tilak Varma and the returning Hardik Pandya, ensures the team has depth and hitting power. The spin department looks sharp, with the wrist-spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy returning, ready to exploit the familiar subcontinental conditions. The presence of all-rounders like Shivam Dube and Axar Patel provides valuable cover in both disciplines. Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy and innovative batting will be central to India’s strategy as they look to start the series with a bang in Cuttack, a venue where they have historically struggled against the Proteas.

South Africa: Seeking a Fresh Start

South Africa, captained by Aiden Markram, will view this series as a vital opportunity to reset their T20 form, having endured a couple of challenging series recently. The return of veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock at the top of the order provides a massive boost, bringing experience and blistering form after his sensational ODI century in the last game of the previous series.

The Proteas boast a powerful batting line-up, featuring proven finishers like David Miller and exciting young talents such as Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs. Their strength also lies in their all-round depth, with Marco Jansen, George Linde, and Corbin Bosch providing crucial contributions with both bat and ball. The pace attack, likely to be spearheaded by the experienced Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi, is a genuine threat on any surface. For South Africa, a strong start in Cuttack is paramount to build momentum and prove that their aggressive style of cricket is well-suited to challenge the Indian dominance in the shorter format.

🏟️  Barabati Stadium

The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack has a relatively mixed history with T20 Internationals, having hosted three matches previously. The surface is generally considered to be conducive for batting, with good pace and bounce, allowing batters to score freely. However, the black soil pitch tends to slow down as the game progresses, bringing the spin bowlers into effect, particularly in the later overs.

A significant factor at this venue, especially for an evening start, will be dew. The team winning the toss will likely elect to field first, hoping to take advantage of the better bowling conditions in the first half and chase a target when the ball skids on under the lights due to the dew factor. A score of around 160 is generally considered par, but given the firepower in both squads, a high-scoring encounter is a strong possibility. Notably, South Africa holds a positive track record at this venue, having won both the T20I matches they have played here against India.

India vs South Africa T20

Beyond the bragging rights of winning the tour’s final series, this is a crucial five-match audition for the T20 World Cup. For India, the series is about cementing their playing XI, especially evaluating the impact of the returning Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. For South Africa, it’s about building confidence and finding a stable, winning combination in the T20 format. With two top-quality teams locking horns, the 1st T20I promises an electrifying contest, setting the tone for what could be an unforgettable series. All eyes will be on the Barabati Stadium as the T20 fireworks begin.