The men in blue gear are on a high at an expected time as they take on the proteas in a five-match T20I series starting tomorrow, December 9, at the Barabati Stadium. Fresh from a spirited 2-1 victory in the Odi leg, India transition to the shortest format with a squad full of explosive talent and tactical mystery.
With the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon, this series serves as a critical litmus test Suryakumar Yadavleadership and India’s aggressive template. While the visitors have a formidable pack, some Indian stars, especially South Africa, are set to dismantle the challenge.
3 Indian players who can cause trouble in the T20I leg
1) Abhishek Sharma
If there’s one name redefining T20 batting in 2025, this is it Abhishek Sharma. Recently, the Punjab SouthPaw made his name in the history books during this period Syed Mushtaq Ali TrophyIn T20 in T20 in T20 becoming 100+ Indian batsman. This year, his numbers are nothing short of video game numbers: in 36 innings, he has notched nearly 1,500 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 204.22, including three centuries and nine fifties.
Abhishek is coming into this series in red-hot form, fresh off a blistering campaign in the domestic circuit where he hit nearly 250 and a career. Having scored 47 in just 17 T20s this year, his ability to clear the strings off the ball makes him a major threat.
2) Varun chakraborty
Varun ChakravarthyThe tactics of India’s bowling attack have been the headlines this year. The mystery spinner is currently enjoying the form of his life in 2025, taking 14 wickets including 14/24 against England, including a claimed Player of the Series with 5/24. His streak was further cemented in IPL 2025 where he took 17 wickets in 13 matches with an economy rate of just 7.66 gold dust in modern T20 cricket.
Crucial to this series, Chakaravarthy has a psychological edge over the hosts. In his last T20I against the proteas in November 2024, he took the internet by storm to claim a career-best 5/17. The cutting pitch, which is expected to have some grip, without the ball being a motionless change either way, makes it India’s trump card to miss the average flow.
See also: Rohit Sharma happily refuses to eat cake after ODI Series win over South Africa
3) Suryakumar Yadav
While Suryakumar remains the most feared name on the team sheet, the Indian skipper enters this series with a massive point to prove. 2025 has been a tale of two different halves for the sky: a sensational IPL campaign, a dizzying flurry in international colours, including a record-breaking streak of consecutive 25+ scores.
Recent statistics ‘have a picture for Mr. 360.’ By the end of October, Surya had managed just 100 runs in 11 T20s, a usakterist average of 9.11 around 11.11. His struggles to convert starts were evident during the Asia Cup, where he made a high score of 65 with modest returns of 47*, 39*, 1, 24 and 20 following the series against Australia.
But South Africa should not underestimate him based on this slide. With the T20 World Cup looming, the T20 pressure is on and Sky are desperate to bridge the gap between IPL dominance and international exposure. A wounded tiger is often the most dangerous, and this series presents an excellent stage for Kritai to silence his critics and return to his destructive best.
Read: Virat Kohli picks his favorite innings from the South Africa Odi series
