In a notable T20I match in Dharamsala, Jasprit Bumrah was unable to participate due to personal commitments, while Axar Patel was sidelined due to illness. India triumphed at the toss for the second consecutive time, opting to bowl first as the dewy conditions prevailed.
Bumrah’s absence opened the door for Harshit Rana, whose ability with the bat at No. 8 allowed for Kuldeep Yadav to join the squad alongside mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Varun is just one wicket shy of reaching a milestone of 50 T20I wickets, while Kuldeep stands out as one of only five bowlers globally to have achieved 50 wickets with a better average than Varun.
On the South African side, three changes were made from the previous match that had levelled the series in New Chandigarh. Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, and Anrich Nortje replaced David Miller, Lutho Sipamla, and George Linde, resulting in Aiden Markram and Donovan Ferreira being the only spinners in their lineup.
The team compositions were as follows:
**South Africa:** Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt.), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman.
**India:** Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt.), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
This match showcased India’s flexibility and depth in their bowling options, while South Africa aimed to adapt with a fresh lineup to reclaim the upper hand in the series. The shifting dynamics among both teams hinted at an exciting encounter ahead.