India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Match: India will look to seal the T20I series against South Africa when the two sides meet in the fourth match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on December 17, 2025. India lead the five-match series 2-1 and a win will give them an unassailable 3-1 advantage. India is likely to field the same playing XI that featured in the third T20I at Dharamsala. Axar Patel is set to miss the rest of the series due to illness. Jasprit Bumrah’s availability remains uncertain after he sat out the previous match.
The focus will be on India captain Suryakumar Yadav. He has not scored many runs in recent games but remains key due to his leadership record. India have won more than 80 percent of matches under his captaincy. With the T20 World Cup scheduled early next year the team will want their skipper to regain form with the bat. South Africa will hope to level the series. The visitors are expected to rely on Quinton de Kock at the top of the order. The wicketkeeper batter had scored a 46-ball 90 in the second T20I at Mullanpur and will be key on a pitch expected to suit batters early on.
Head-to-Head Record
India holds the edge in the head-to-head record. The two teams have played 34 T20Is. India have won 20 matches while South Africa have won 13.
Probable Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy
South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Aiden Markram (captain), Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman
Weather Report
Weather conditions are expected to remain clear throughout the match. There is no forecast of rain in Lucknow on match day. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 19 degrees Celsius while the minimum could drop to 11 degrees.
Pitch Report
The Ekana Cricket Stadium will host its tenth T20I match and the first T20I at this venue involving India and South Africa. The pitch is expected to be balanced and offer help to both batters and bowlers. Batters are likely to enjoy good bounce on the surface and can play shots with confidence once set. However the first few overs could be tricky as the ball may move slightly due to the lower temperature. Batters will need to be careful during the powerplay.
Fast bowlers are expected to get assistance in the early overs if they pitch the ball up and look for swing. While the conditions may not be as helpful as Dharamsala the pacers should still find some movement in the air.Spinners could face a challenge especially in the second innings as dew is expected to play a role. This may make it difficult to grip the ball and control length. Teams winning the toss are likely to bowl first. A target of around 170 to 180 runs could be competitive on this surface.
Live Broadcast
The fourth T20I will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website. Live telecast will be available on the Star Sports network from 7 pm IST on Wednesday.
