
India vs South Africa 1st T20I LIVE SCORE: Hardik Pandya smashed a sparkling unbeaten 28-ball 59 as India defeated South Africa by a massive 101 runs in the first T20I at the Barabati Stadium on Tuesday.
Returning to international cricket after recovering from quadricep injury, Pandya smashed six fours and four maximums to lift to 175/5. In reply, South Africa were folded for 74 in 12.3 overs with Dewald Brevis (22) emerging as the top-scorer. It was SA's lowest-ever score in T20I cricket.
Shivam Dube and Axar Patel take last two wickets as South Africa are all out for just 74 runs. India win by 101 runs and take 1-0 series lead.
OUTTT!!!! 100 wickets for Jasprit Bumrah in T20Is. Dewald Brevis swings wide and a top edge is caught easily by Suryakumar Yadav. South Africa are in complete shambles. Another wicket for Bumrah in the over as Keshav Maharaj nicks behind to Jitesh Sharma. SA 70/8 (10.5)
CASTLED!!! Marco Jansen opts to play on the backfoot and completely misses the line to see his stumps shattered. Varun Chakaravarthy strikes once again. SA 68-6 (9.5)
OUTTT!!! Wickets continue to tumble for South Africa. Donovan Ferreira goes hard but the extra bounce takes a outside edge only for brilliant Jitesh Sharma to take the catch. Varun Chakaravarthy gets the wicket. Wicket maiden for Varun. SA 50-5 (8)
OUTTT!!! Two big wickets in two overs for India. First it was Axar Patel who went through the defence of Aiden Markram on his first ball. The next over Hardik Pandya gets the better of David Miller first ball. Miller gets a faint edge for Jitesh Sharma to take the catch. SA 45-4 (6.1)
OUTTT!!! Two in two overs for Arshdeep Singh. Tristan Stubbs, who was looking good, gets a faint inside egde to leave South Africa two down in just the third over. SA 16-2 (2.3)
Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram walk in for South Africa for chase. Arshdeep Singh to open the bowling. OUTTT!!! What a start by India as QDK departs on the second ball of the innings, caught by Abhishek Sharma at the second slip. SA 6/1 (1)
After the top order failure, Hardik Pandya rescued India with his 25-ball fifty, studded with five fours and four sixes. He completes his half-century with a no look six at the third-man boundary off Anrich Nortje.
Third wicket of the day for Lungi Ngidi as he gets better of Tilak Varma, who goes for 26. Another wicket goes down for India as Axar Patel gets out off the bowling of Lutho Sipamla. Hardik Pandya is key for India in the middle. IND 104-5 (14)
Fifty comes up for India in the eighth over. Axar Patel and tilak Varma are in the middle. IND 54/3 (8)
OUTTT!!! India are in deep deep trouble after Abhishek Sharma is caught brilliantly by a diving Marco Jansen off the Simpala. Shot making is looking tough in this wicket and Abhishek just paid the price for that. IND 48-3 (6.3)
BANGGG!!! After being hit on the rib cage by a Marco Jansen delivery, Abhishek Sharma replies the South Africa with a monstrous pull for a huge six. Pure signs of facing the opposition eye-to-eye. IND 26/2 (4)
HUGEEEEE!!!! The departure of Shubman Gill doesn't seem to have had any effect on Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav. He takes time in the middle initially before opening his arms for a four an a huge six off Lungi Ngidi. OUTTT!!! SKY tries to play the pick-up shot again, but the ball hits bottom end of the bat only for Aiden Markram to take a simple catch. IND 18-2 (3)
Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma are out in the middle for India. Lungi Ngidi is with the ball for South Africa. First boundary from Shubman Gill's bat. Gill slices the ball away towards the third man. OUTTT!!! Gill dances down the ground to go over the bowler's head but the ball didn't get elevation and is caught by Aiden Markram. IND 5/1 (0.)
Out come the officials, followed by the players of both sides for the National Anthem. South Africa to go first, followed by India.
Aiden Markram has won the toss and South Africa opted to field. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav says that Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana are the players to miss out. Anrich Nortje is playing a T20I for the first time since T20 World Cup 2024 final.
Sanju Samson is once again likely to warm the bench as Jitesh Sharma likely to keep wickets and Shubman Gill returning to the top of the order. In the bowling department, Arshdeep Singh might have to warm the bench again as Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya adding up to the seaming options along with Jasprit Bumrah.
In the Indian T20I side there is no fixed position for batters from No.3 to No.7 as all have to be flexible enough to bat as the situation demands, something that captain Suryakumar Yadav reiterated on the eve of the game.
Suryakumar Yadav spoke about the preparations of the T20 World Cup 2026 and also shed a light how important it is to play domestic cricket.
Hardik Pandya was the first Indian cricketer to reach Cuttack. He trained at the stadium alone for a day before the whole team joined in.
The Indian team will be wearing their new kit in the firss T20I, which was unveiled for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Both Jarprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are on verge of achieving respective milestones. Bumrah is just one wicket shy of 100 wickets while Pandya is two wicket shy of same milestone.
India's record at the Barabati Stadium in T20Is hasn't been good against South Africa. The Men in Blue played two T20Is against the Proteas in Cuttack, losing both in 2015 and 2022. India batted first in both the game.
More than anything, the focus will be on the return of Shubman Gill. The Indian Test and ODI skipper suffered a neck spasm during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. He the missed the remainder of the Test series, as well as the ODI series.
India are coming into this series after winning the ODI series against South Africa 2-1. For South Africa, Aiden Markram is returning to the T20I leadership. Ahead of the T20 World Cup next year, India will get 10 games to prepare, the first of which will be played today.
Hello and welcome to the first T20I between India and South Africa in Cuttack at the Barabati Stadium.
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