India An all-round team display ended a dominant home season with a win in Ahmedabad South Africa By 30 runs the fifth and final T20I to seal the series 3-1. The victory marked India’s eighth consecutive T20I series win, a streak that runs until December 2023. The raucous Narendra Modi Stadium witnessed pace swings, explosive batting and decisive middle-order bowling. And South Africa briefly threatened Quinton de Kock‘s counter attack, India’s depth and composure ultimately proved decisive.
IND vs SA: Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma take India to a big total
India’s total of 232 for five was built on fearless intent and sustained acceleration. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma turning a solid platform into a statement account. After an aggressive powerplay Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson provided early momentum, the innings briefly stalled after Samson’s dismissal. As soon as Pandya entered, that calm was abruptly broken. Embracing the atmosphere at his former IPL home, Pandya launched a brutal attack, punishing anything short or full and even trapping well-directed deliveries deep into the stands.
His 16-ball half-century, the second-fastest by an Indian in T20Is, turned the match on its head and left South Africa struggling to hold on. Tilak, on the other hand, provided poise and clarity, intelligently spinning the stroke before crisp drives and calculated lofted shots. The pair’s 105 runs off just 44 balls turned a competitive score into an intimidating one. Tilak’s composure ensured the pace never dropped after Pandya’s dismissal, while late contributions boosted the run rate. At the end of the innings, South Africa were looking at a daunting chase on a surface that offered little margin for error.
Also READ: T20I cricket ft. Hardik Pandya – 5 fastest fifties for India in IND vs SA
IND vs SA: Varun Chakravarthy causes South Africa to collapse as India shut the door
It started with intent as a follow-up to South Africa Quinton de Kock attacked early, especially scored Arshdeep Singh to keep the request rate under control. Even like Washington Sundar Playing a quietly impressive powerplay, the visitors got off to a strong start and reached 99 in the ninth over with de Kock in full flow. The contest was delicately balanced at the halfway mark, but India took control with precision and patience. It came with a turning point jasprit bumrah‘s back in time, when de Kock offered a sharp back catch at the wrong time off the slow offcutter and ended South Africa’s best hope.
From there, Varun Chakraborty took center stage. Mixing speed, dip and sharp turn, he dismantled the middle order, took out the main batters and stifled the scoring options as he mounted the pressure. Pandya complemented it with clever changes of pace, forcing errors into the deep in wide square boundaries. A quick wicket turned the chase into a climb and once Varun bowled George Linde the result was unmistakable with a classic googly. Although Marco Jansen Briefly threatened by late strikes, Bumrah slammed the wicket, ensuring India closed the match with authority.
Also WATCH: Shivam Dube takes a superb hand to dismiss Reeza Hendricks during the 5th T20I at Ahmedabad
Here’s how the fans reacted:
Say what you will….After Virat and Rohit, if there is a true star in Indian cricket, it is Hardik Pandya. His style, his aura…on or off the field…everything is different. He is one of a kind in a league of his own.
— Dheeraj Singh (@Dheerajsingh_) December 19, 2025
Not easy to defend targets in Ahmedabad, the partnership of Hardik and Tilak ensured that India got above par scores. VC is a weapon in the middle and Bumrah is a cheat code. Good streaks beat a really good SA side. Well done Team India 👏 #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/SHNhiiGASe
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 19, 2025
This is a brilliant shot from Hardik 👏
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 19, 2025
Cheat master aka V4RUN 🔥
📸: @BCCI
Varun Chakravarthy | Play with Fire | IND vs SA pic.twitter.com/ROGT8pA8jP
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) December 19, 2025
MI sleuths peaked with Hardik’s discovery. A guy who can hit a 16 ball 50 can give you 3 or even 4 on any given day. Not even a laboratory can produce such a cricketer. pic.twitter.com/43oY1ae1wO
— Heisenberg ☢ (@internetumpire) December 19, 2025
HARDIK PANDYA ONLY PLAYS CRICKET IN AURAAAA FARM
— Kevin (@imkevin149) December 19, 2025
Sorry Akshaye Khanna, but Hardik Pandya is the ultimate aura farmer.
— ` (@chixxsays) December 19, 2025
Number 1 T20I bowler for a reason!!!!! Varun Chakravarthy magic.🪄
Bumrah + Varun is a nightmare for the opposition. 🎃
— Bhawana (@cricbhawana) December 19, 2025
Varun has been a cheat code for us so far. Rare W from GG
— Udit (@udit_buch) December 19, 2025
India won the T20I series 3-1 💯🏆#INDvsSA #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/eEWW1GMV5f
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) December 19, 2025
