South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first in the opening T20I against India at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. With heavy dew expected later in the evening, captain Aiden Markram said bowling first gives his side the best chance to control the conditions.
“Quite a bit of dew around, might be a constant throughout the game but might get a bit worse later,” Markram said. “Lot of these games play out in the mind, so getting into the right frame is important.”
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted there was some uncertainty about the pitch in the build-up. “We were a little confused looking at the wicket, it was greener yesterday. But happy to bat first—want to make the most of it and defend,” he said. “It becomes challenging for the bowlers, but let’s take it as a challenge.”
Suryakumar also emphasized India’s preparation phase, saying the tight schedule—from Australia to South Africa and then New Zealand—provides ideal build-up to major tournaments.
Hardik Pandya Returns, Bumrah to Play; Key Names Miss Out
India handed a strong XI for the opening match, with Hardik Pandya making a much-awaited comeback. Jasprit Bumrah also features in the lineup, strengthening India’s pace attack.
However, a few notable players miss out from the starting XI:
Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Harshit Rana were not included for this match.
India Playing XI vs South Africa (1st T20I)
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Abhishek Sharma
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Shubman Gill
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Suryakumar Yadav (c)
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Tilak Varma
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Hardik Pandya
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Shivam Dube
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Jitesh Sharma (wk)
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Axar Patel
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Jasprit Bumrah
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Varun Chakaravarthy
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Arshdeep Singh
With India opting to bat first, all eyes will be on their top order—especially Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill—to set the tone, while South Africa aim to exploit early movement and dew conditions later in the evening.
