Last Updated:
Team India faces South Africa in the primary T20I at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, with Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill returning. Suryakumar Yadav leads a powerful lineup.
India’s Likely XI For 1st T20I vs South Africa In Cuttack
Team India has assembled in Odisha as they’re set to face South Africa in the primary game of the 5-match T20I series, ranging from December 9 at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. After defeating the Proteas 2-1 within the ODIs, the boys in blue will look to start the T20Is on a winning note.
More importantly, this series serves the Indian management with a possibility to evaluate the bench strength before moving into the T20 World Cup next 12 months at home. Ahead of the mega ICC event, India are slated to play 10 games – 5 each against South Africa and Recent Zealand, which offers abundant opportunities to the coaches to finalise their group of 15.
The series also marks the return of Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill, who’ve been away from motion attributable to injuries. Pandya hurt his quadriceps through the Asia Cup 2025 and was ruled out of the ultimate. Alternatively, Gill’s neck injury cut short his participation within the 2-match Test series, followed by the following ODIs against South Africa.
As India enter the series opener against South Africa in Cuttack, all eyes shall be on the Playing XI against Aiden Markram’s South Africa.
Since Gill is back in the combination after clearing a fitness test on the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, he’s most probably to take the opener’s role together with his best friend Abhishek Sharma. Captain Suryakumar Yadav will walk out to bat at no. 3, while Tilak Varma, the hero of the Asia Cup final, will take the fourth position within the batting order.
No. 5 should ideally be reserved for Sanju Samson, as he isn’t any longer opening the innings. But this position often turns situational, and hence, the management tends to experiment with its resources by shuffling the order.
As Hardik Pandya is back, he can be expected to fireside on all cylinders and bat at no. 6. Axar Patel would add strength to the line-up, with each bat and ball.
With 7 batting options available, India would field a few spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. Jasprit Bumrah may even return after being rested for the ODIs and is prone to lead the 2-man pace attack, including Arshdeep Singh.
India’s Likely Playing XI for 1st T20I vs South Africa:
Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
Click here so as to add News18 as your selected news source on Google. Cuttack, India, India
December 08, 2025, 09:46 IST
Read More