India and South Africa now prepare for five-match T20I series with the first match to be played at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on December 9, 2025. The matches are extremely crucial and will serve as a preparation ground for T20 World Cup 2026. Shubman Gill will also be making a comeback in the first T20I after being out due to neck injury.
For the first time in history, Barabati Stadium will have a red-soil pitch for the first T20I. The pitch will give extra pace and consistent bounce making the strokeplay easier. The batters will have a lot of support from the pitch as the ball will come nicely and it is usually a high-scoring match on these type of pitches.
Spinners may not be able to find much support on this surface early on but the pitch could grip allowing slower bowlers to come into the game. Given the nature of the new surface and recent preparations, this contest is likely to be more run-heavy than previous T20Is played here.
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The toss will remain very important and the captain that wins the toss will be looking forward to bowl first as the evening matches in Cuttack often bring some due which gives chasing side an advantage. The red-soil pitch will offer plenty of runs and it better to know the target rather than setting one.
