India vs South Africa Highlights, 1st T20I: Hardik Pandya stars on return to help IND register a dominant 101-run win

India vs South Africa Live Score, 1st T20I IND vs SA: A sensational over from Marco Jansen as only one run came off it. Suryakumar Yadav is feeling the pressure of not scoring big runs in his last few innings and it is quite visible here with his approach. India are in a tricky position here. IND 7/1 in 2 overs

India vs South Africa Live Score, 1st T20I IND vs SA: A tidy over from Lungi Ngidi to start the proceedings as only six runs came off it with the crucial wicket of Shubman Gill. Suryakumar Yadav will be under pressure to break free early here. iND 6/1 in 1 over

India vs South Africa Live Score, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Shubman Gill departs for just four. He mistimed it completely and got caught by Macro Jansen. Shubman Gill opened the account with a boundary straightaway, but on the next ball, he threw his wicket away. IND 5/1 in 0.3 over

India vs South Africa Live Score, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill are in the middle to open the innings for India. Lungi Ngidi has the ball in hand.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: The players of both teams are out in the middle for the national anthems of their respective nations.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: South Africa Playing XI - Quinton de Kock(w), Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA - India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Ravi Shastri stumbled at the toss, twice saying the T20 World Cup was six months away twice. The tournament is actually set to begin in February.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: South Africa skipper Aiden Markram wins the toss and elects to bowl first against India in Cuttack.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Hardik Pandya's timely return ahead of next year's T20 World Cup has brought back the much-needed flexibility and balance, with his new-ball spells offering India the cushion to field three, even four spinners.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Abhishek Sharma produced a breathtaking run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, finishing as one of the tournament’s standout batters. The left-hander amassed 304 runs at an average of 50.66 while striking at an extraordinary rate of over 249, showcasing rare ball-striking ability. His standout knock came against Bengal, where he smashed a sensational 148 off just 52 deliveries, an innings packed with towering sixes and crisp boundaries that powered Punjab to a mammoth 310/5

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: In this season’s SMAT, Suryakumar Yadav struggled for form, amassing just 165 runs across five matches without a single fifty. While major changes ahead of the World Cup seem unlikely, the upcoming 10 T20Is will put both his batting and captaincy under intense scrutiny.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: South Africa will be without star middle-order batter Tony de Zorzi, who has been a crucial contributor in recent T20Is, and young fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, a rising pace talent. Both have been ruled out due to injuries, leaving the Proteas to adjust their plans ahead of the five-match T20I series against India.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Sanju Samson, one of India’s most prolific scorers since the World Cup with three centuries, now faces uncertainty in the batting order. With Shubman Gill reinstated as vice-captain, Samson has been shifted down, a position unfamiliar to him in T20s, putting his regular role and rhythm under threat.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: South Africa Probable XI - Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA - India Probable Playing XI: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Hardik Pandya’s value in T20Is goes far beyond his explosive batting. His ability to bowl crucial overs, take the new ball, and provide balance by allowing an extra spinner makes him pivotal. With India looking to sharpen combinations and Suryakumar Yadav still finding his rhythm, Hardik’s experience and finishing ability are central to the team’s World Cup strategy.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Marco Jansen has steadily developed into a reliable all-rounder for South Africa, enhancing the team’s balance. His commanding 93 in the Guwahati Test and a quickfire 70 off 39 balls in Ranchi highlighted his growing confidence with the bat, complementing his already formidable bowling skills.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form has been a concern since taking over as full-time T20I captain in July last year. In 15 innings, he has managed just 184 runs at an average of 15.33, hasn’t scored a fifty in his last 20 games, and his strike rate has dropped sharply to 127.77 from the 187-plus he maintained in 2022.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Hardik Pandya is on the cusp of returning to international action after shaking off the left quadricep injury he suffered at the Asia Cup. He announced his comeback in emphatic fashion during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, smashing an unbeaten 77 from 42 deliveries for Baroda in a daunting 223-run chase against Punjab.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Abhishek Sharma has taken his red-hot form from the Australia tour straight into the domestic season, finishing as India’s top scorer with 163 runs in the 2–1 series win. He has been equally destructive in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, smashing 304 runs at an average of 50.66 and a strike rate north of 249, with his standout effort being a breathtaking 52-ball 148 against Bengal that carried Punjab to a towering 310/5.

India vs South Africa Live Updates, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Shubman Gill returned after missing nearly a month with a neck spasm suffered while attempting a slog sweep in the opening Test, and now faces growing pressure to deliver and cement his place in the T20I setup. He has yet to play an impactful knock since his return in the T20I format at the Asia Cup.

India vs South Africa Live Score, 1st T20I IND vs SA: Hello and welcome to our live blog of 1st T20I between India and South Africa from Barabati Stadium, Cuttack.