IND vs SA 1st T20I Match Report: India couldn’t have asked for a better start to the series. On a day when their batting faltered early and looked far from convincing, the bowlers stepped up in style to dismantle South Africa for just 74, handing the Men in Blue a massive 101-run win in the first T20I.
It was a complete team effort with the ball. Arshdeep Singh set the tone with two early wickets, Jasprit Bumrah continued his world-class form with a double strike, and Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel chipped in with two apiece. Even Hardik Pandya, fresh from his explosive return with the bat, grabbed a wicket off his very first ball.
South Africa just never found their feet. Big names like Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, and Dewald Brevis couldn’t withstand the relentless pressure. Wickets kept tumbling, partnerships never formed, and the visitors ended up crashing to their lowest-ever T20I total.
An emphatic win in the #INDvSA T20I series opener 🥳#TeamIndia register a 1⃣0⃣1⃣-run victory in Cuttack to go 1⃣-0⃣ up 🙌
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/tiemfwcNPh@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/mw3oxC5AHw---Advertisement---— BCCI (@BCCI) December 9, 2025
Hardik Pandya’s Fireworks Lift India to a Fighting Total
Earlier, India’s top order had a forgettable outing. Sent in to bat on a slightly two-paced red-soil pitch, the hosts slipped to 6 for 3 and then 76 for 6, with Lungi Ngidi (3/31) making full use of the conditions.
But then came Hardik Pandya, returning to competitive cricket after 74 days and he looked like he never left.
Walking in at No. 6, Hardik flipped the script completely with a breathtaking 59 off 28 balls, an innings packed with clean hitting and remarkable confidence. His knock included six fours and four sixes, and it was his counter-attack that gave India the momentum they desperately needed.
𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐦𝐬 💯
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 9, 2025
1⃣0⃣0⃣ T20I sixes for Hardik Pandya 🔥
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/tiemfwcNPh #INDvSA | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/mZjJXhr5S9
He launched his assault with two massive sixes off Keshav Maharaj, then took on Anrich Nortje in a fiery pace-vs-power showdown. Marco Jansen tried to test him with the short ball, only to be pulled with authority.
Hardik brought up his fifty in style, a 25-ball effort capped by a ramped six over third man and guided India to 175/6, with 53 of those runs coming in the final five overs.
A Fantastic Win to Start the Series
What could’ve been a tricky chase for South Africa quickly turned into a nightmare courtesy of India’s disciplined, clinical bowling attack. Every bowler contributed, the fielding backed them up, and the visitors never found a way back once the early breakthroughs came.
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