India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Hardik Pandya played a match-winning innings as India defeated South Africa by 101 runs in the first T20I at Barabati Stadium on Tuesday. Returning from a quadricep injury, Pandya scored an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes to lift India to 175 for six.
After winning the toss, South Africa chose to field first. India suffered early setbacks as Shubman Gill fell for four and captain Suryakumar Yadav for 12. Abhishek Sharma added 17 before being dismissed. Tilak Varma scored 26 and crossed 1,000 T20I runs, while Axar Patel contributed 23 runs. Pandya joined India at 78 for four and counter-attacked to take the total past 175, remaining unbeaten alongside Jitesh Sharma.
Chasing 176, South Africa struggled from the start. Quinton de Kock was dismissed for a duck in the second over. Tristan Stubbs made 14, but wickets fell at regular intervals. Skipper Aiden Markram scored 14 and Dewald Brevis 22, the top score for the Proteas. The team was bowled out for 74 in 12.3 overs, their lowest T20I total.
For India, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel took two wickets each. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube claimed one wicket apiece. Lungi Ngidi was South Africa’s best bowler with three wickets for 31 runs.
India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Match Scorecard:
India 175 for six in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 59*, Tilak Varma 26; Lungi Ngidi 3/31)
South Africa 74 all out in 12.3 overs (Dewald Brevis 22, Tristan Stubbs 14; Jasprit Bumrah 2/17)
India lead the five-match series 1-0.
