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The fourth T20I of the continued five-match series between India and South Africa shall be played on December 17 at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
India’s likely playing XI for 4th T20I against South Africa. (Picture Credit: AFP, AP)
The fourth T20I of the continued five-match series between India and South Africa shall be played on the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday (December 17). For the match in Lucknow, Indian team management could make as many as three changes to the playing XI. India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill, who’s horribly off form lately, is more likely to be omitted of the playing XI, and in his place wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson could get a likelihood.
Samson, who smashed three T20I centuries for India last 12 months, hasn’t played a T20I match since October 2025.
Gill scored 4 runs from two balls against South Africa in the primary T20I and got out for a golden duck within the second match played in Mullanpur. Within the third T20I at HPCA Stadium on Sunday (December 14), he made 28 runs from 28 balls but looked removed from convincing. There are plenty of query marks over his place within the playing XI.
Along with Samson, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah are also expected to return for the fourth T20I.
Axar and Bumrah were the 2 forced changes for India within the third T20I, which they comfortably won by 7 wickets.
It’s going to, nonetheless, be interesting to see who makes way for Axar and Bumrah. Within the third T20I they were replaced by Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav, and each the substitute players picked up two wickets each.
If the team management decides to retain Kuldeep and Harshit, then Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy, who’re the highest two wicket-takers in T20Is against South Africa, may very well be rested for the match in Lucknow.
Like Harshit and Kuldeep, Arshdeep and Varun also dismissed two South African batters each within the third T20I, and Arshdeep even bagged the Player Of The Match award.
Within the fourth T20I, Indian fans will expect a giant show from captain Suryakumar Yadav. Surya is India’s third-highest run-getter in T20Is, but in 2025, he has only managed to attain 213 runs in 18 innings of 20 T20I matches.
India’s likely playing XI for the 4th T20I against South Africa: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
Click here so as to add News18 as your selected news source on Google. December 15, 2025, 06:00 IST
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