India won the toss and opted to bowl first in the 2nd T20I against South Africa at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. With dew expected to influence the game later in the evening, Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that India will stick with the same playing XI that clinched the series opener with a strong all-round display.
The match, scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST, marks the first men’s international game at this venue. India will once again rely on their strong bowling unit, which defended a competitive total in the previous fixture.
Speaking at the toss, Suryakumar Yadav said the team was confident about chasing under lights: “We will bowl first. There’s a bit of dew, so bowling first is a good option. It’s really important for the boys to understand responsibility. We go with the same team.”
South Africa captain Aiden Markram revealed that he too would have chosen to bowl first, adding that the surface looked good and his team needed to post a competitive total after learning from the previous outing. The Proteas have made three changes with Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, and Ottniel Baartman coming into the XI.
Playing XIs
India:
Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
South Africa:
Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Wiaan Mulder (based on the changes indicated)
With both sides looking to adjust quickly to conditions and the venue hosting its first major fixture, a competitive contest is on the cards as India aim to seal the series and South Africa look to bounce back.