India’s top order suffered a double blow inside the first three overs as captain Suryakumar Yadav fell for 12 (11), moments after Shubman Gill was dismissed for 4. Both wickets came off Lungi Ngidi, who struck twice in quick succession to put South Africa on top in the powerplay.
Gill, returning from a neck injury that had sidelined him during the Test and ODI series, survived just two balls before slicing a catch to Marco Jansen at mid-on. Suryakumar attempted to counterattack with a six and a boundary but repeated Gill’s error — trying to go aerial on a holding pitch and gifting Aiden Markram a simple catch.
With India reduced to 20/2, both openers back in the pavilion, the pressure now shifts to Tilak Varma and the middle order to steady the innings.
