India Cruise to 7-Wicket Victory Over South Africa in 3rd T20I, Take 2-1 Series Lead
Dharamsala, December 14, 2025: India delivered a commanding performance to defeat South Africa by 7 wickets in the third T20I at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that paid off immediately as India's bowlers exploited the conditions superbly to restrict South Africa to a modest 117 all out in 20 overs.
The Proteas got off to a disastrous start, slumping to 7/3 in the first three overs. Arshdeep Singh struck in the opening over, dismissing Reeza Hendricks for a duck, while Harshit Rana accounted for Quinton de Kock (1) and Dewald Brevis (2).
Hardik Pandya claimed his 100th T20I wicket by removing Tristan Stubbs (9), reducing South Africa to 30/4.Aiden Markram fought valiantly with a resilient 61 off 46 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes), but received little support from the rest of the lineup.
Donovan Ferreira contributed 20, while Anrich Nortje added 12. Varun Chakaravarthy (2/11) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/12) were exceptional in the middle overs, with Arshdeep (2/13) and Rana (2/34) leading the pace attack.
In response, India chased down the target of 118 with ease, reaching 120/3 in just 15.5 overs. Abhishek Sharma provided an explosive start, smashing 35 off 18 balls (3 fours, 3 sixes), putting on 60 for the first wicket with Shubman Gill (28 off 28).
After Abhishek's dismissal, Tilak Varma anchored the innings with an unbeaten 25 off 34 balls, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav scored 12 before falling. Shivam Dube sealed the victory in style, remaining unbeaten on 10 off 4 balls, including a six and a four.
India dominated the powerplay, scoring 68 runs in the first six overs, setting the foundation for a comfortable win.With this victory, India have bounced back strongly after the series was leveled 1-1. The teams now move to Lucknow for the fourth T20I on December 17.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that paid off immediately as India's bowlers exploited the conditions superbly to restrict South Africa to a modest 117 all out in 20 overs.
The Proteas got off to a disastrous start, slumping to 7/3 in the first three overs. Arshdeep Singh struck in the opening over, dismissing Reeza Hendricks for a duck, while Harshit Rana accounted for Quinton de Kock (1) and Dewald Brevis (2).
Hardik Pandya claimed his 100th T20I wicket by removing Tristan Stubbs (9), reducing South Africa to 30/4.Aiden Markram fought valiantly with a resilient 61 off 46 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes), but received little support from the rest of the lineup.
Donovan Ferreira contributed 20, while Anrich Nortje added 12. Varun Chakaravarthy (2/11) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/12) were exceptional in the middle overs, with Arshdeep (2/13) and Rana (2/34) leading the pace attack.
In response, India chased down the target of 118 with ease, reaching 120/3 in just 15.5 overs. Abhishek Sharma provided an explosive start, smashing 35 off 18 balls (3 fours, 3 sixes), putting on 60 for the first wicket with Shubman Gill (28 off 28).
After Abhishek's dismissal, Tilak Varma anchored the innings with an unbeaten 25 off 34 balls, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav scored 12 before falling. Shivam Dube sealed the victory in style, remaining unbeaten on 10 off 4 balls, including a six and a four.
India dominated the powerplay, scoring 68 runs in the first six overs, setting the foundation for a comfortable win.With this victory, India have bounced back strongly after the series was leveled 1-1. The teams now move to Lucknow for the fourth T20I on December 17.