IND vs SA 4th T20 Match Prediction, Preview, Playing11, Pitch and Weather Report

IND vs SA 4th T20 Match Preview – The five-match T20I series between India and South Africa shifts to the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow for the crucial fourth T20I on Tuesday, December 17, 2025. With India leading the series 2-1 after a convincing victory in the third match, the hosts will be eager to seal the series with a game to spare.

The previous encounter saw a dominant performance by the Indian bowlers, who restricted South Africa to a paltry total. The visitors, who started the series strongly, will be under immense pressure to level the score and force a decider. This match promises to be a high-stakes affair, as both teams look to make a statement in the late stages of the competitive series.

IND vs SA 4th T20 Match Details

IND vs SA 4th T20 Head-to-Head Record

India holds a comfortable lead over South Africa in the T20 International format.

IND vs SA 4th T20 Pitch Report: Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

The Ekana Cricket Stadium is known for its bowler-friendly nature, offering a contrast to the high-scoring grounds often seen in India.

• Traditionally Slow: The pitch has historically been one of the more challenging surfaces for batting.

• Spin and Pace: While the wickets here are known to assist bowling, especially the slower bowlers or spin bowlers, pacers can also find assistance. Spinners have a high percentage of wickets in T20I matches here.

• Average Score: The average first innings T20I score at this venue is around 160 runs. However, T20 matches in 2024 saw the average first-innings score rise to nearly 183.

• Toss Factor: Interestingly, five out of six T20I matches at this venue have been won by the team batting first. The pitch tends to get tougher as the match progresses.

IND vs SA 4th T20 Weather Report

The weather for the match is expected to be clear, cool, and dry, providing perfect conditions for cricket.

• Temperature: The high temperature for the day is forecast to be 23°C and the low 11°C. Temperatures will likely be cool during the evening start time of 7:00 PM.

• Rain Threat: There is virtually 0% chance of rain.

• Dew Factor: While the weather will be clear, dew may become a factor in the late evening, which could slightly aid the chasing side.

IND vs SA 4th T20 Possible Playing XI

India (IND)

India, who took a 2-1 lead in the third T20I, may look to bring back experienced campaigners for this crucial match.

• Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill/Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah/Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav/Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.

South Africa (SA)

South Africa will look to shuffle their batting order to address the collapse in the previous match and bring in a more spin-friendly attack for the Ekana surface.

• Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (C), Tony de Zorzi, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde/Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi.

IND vs SA 4th T20 Match Prediction

The series is poised at a tense 2-1, and South Africa is under immense pressure to perform. The key for the visitors will be the form of their star batters, Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram. The bowling attack, led by the pace of Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi, will need to contain the in-form Indian middle order.

India, on the other hand, has seen outstanding performances from players like Tilak Varma, who is the top run-scorer for India in the series so far. Their spin department, featuring Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy, who is the top wicket-taker for India in the series, is expected to thrive on the Lucknow pitch.

Given the historical tendency of this pitch to favor the team batting first and India’s current momentum, the hosts have a slight edge. However, South Africa’s ability to bounce back, as demonstrated in the second T20I, makes them a dangerous opponent.

Prediction: India to win a closely fought contest.