India’s innings: early collapse, Pandya rescue act
South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bowl first, using the tacky, two-paced Cuttack pitch to put India under early pressure. Shubman Gill (4), Suryakumar Yadav (12) and Abhishek Sharma (17) all fell inside the first seven overs as Lungi Ngidi led the attack with figures of 3/31 to leave India struggling.
Tilak Varma added a scratchy 26 off 32 balls, but the real momentum shift came when Hardik Pandya walked in at 78/4 and counter-attacked with clean ball striking. The all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 59 off just 28 deliveries, hitting six fours and four sixes, helped by useful cameos from Axar Patel, Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma, as India finished on a competitive 175/6 in 20 overs.
South Africa blown away for 74
Chasing 176, South Africa never settled and crashed to their lowest-ever T20I total, bowled out for just 74 in 12.3 overs. Arshdeep Singh removed Quinton de Kock for a duck and then Tristan Stubbs for 14 to break the top order, while Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis briefly resisted before the collapse from 45/3 began.
Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah each struck twice, with Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya chipping in a wicket apiece as all six Indian bowlers featured in the destruction. The 101-run margin gave India a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series and underlined their strong build-up towards the T20 World Cup 2026.
Bumrah’s landmark, Pandya named Player of the Match
| Key performer | Milestone / Impact |
| Hardik Pandya | Unbeaten 59 off 28 balls and 1 wicket; adjudged Player of the Match. |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Reached 100 T20I wickets and became the first Indian with 100 wickets in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. |
Jasprit Bumrah created history by dismissing Dewald Brevis to reach 100 wickets in T20Is, making him the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in all three international formats. He finished with 2/17 as part of a ruthless attack that exposed South Africa’s struggles against movement and variation on a challenging surface.
Hardik Pandya’s explosive half-century on return from injury, followed by a key strike with the ball, earned him the Player of the Match award and sent a strong message about India’s depth and balance in the lead-up to next year’s global tournament.
