IND vs SA 1st T20I: In a match reminiscent of the T20 World Cup 2024 final, India and South Africa will play the first T20I of the series on Tuesday, December 9, at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. This is also the final leg of the all-format tour, where the Proteas won the Test series, while India won the One-Day Internationals.
Speaking of India, the team, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, is in tremendous form lately, having won the Asia Cup 2025 and then followed it up with a series win against a strong Australian side. With the countdown to the 2026 T20 World Cup having begun, India will be looking to further strengthen their preparations.
In contrast, South Africa has had a very poor campaign in the shortest format. This will be their first T20I assignment after a 1-2 series loss against Pakistan.
Before the Pakistan tour, the Proteas also lost to Namibia an associate nation in a one-off match. Prior to that, they managed a draw against England, which now puts them under pressure to find a winning rhythm.
Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs South Africa, 1st T20I 2025 |
| Venue | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack |
| Date and Time | Tuesday, December 9; 7:00 PM (Indian Standard Time) |
| Live Broadcast and Streaming | Star Sports, Jio Hotstar (app and website) |
IND vs SA Pitch Report
Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium has previously hosted three T20 International matches, with South Africa participating in two of them and winning both times.
Two-thirds of the matches here have been won by the teams chasing. Although the pitch offers equal assistance to both spinners and pacers, bowlers with better variations are more likely to succeed, as the ball doesn’t grip as well due to dew and cooler weather conditions.</ On this type of surface, a total score of 160 can easily be considered a winning score.
IND vs SA Head to Head
- Matches Played: 31
- India: Won 18 matches
- South Africa: Won 12 matches
- Draw: 1
- First Match: December 1, 2006
- Last Match: November 15, 2024
Also Read: Yashasvi Jaiswal became the 6th Indian player to score a century in all three formats
